The Fox and the Weasley
by madswantstobattle
Summary: "Okay, yes," Fred sighed, defeated, "I'm in love with her. It's just that... I was kind of hoping she'd, y'know... fall in love with me too." "I knew it!" George shouted, jumping up and down and pointing a finger at his brother. But what would it matter? She would never go for someone like him. Harlow - strong, beautiful, and so very much out of his league.
1. Prologue

**I have returned! I'm so sorry for my absence but I promise I will try and stick around for as long as possible! So to get the more important things out of the way: all of my other fics are currently on hiatus! I want to re-write/tweak them to make them better and more enjoyable for you readers! But I want to focus on this one for a while because I am very much in love with this new little OC of mine! And I hope you will love her as much as I do! This will be a very long one since I plan on skimming through the years at Hogwarts leading up to the ever popular Battle of Hogwarts. Another thing: there will be a mixture of book and movie references because it has been years since I've read the books (actually, I'm trying to re-read them but work gets in the way sometimes.) I admit it may be a little slow to start so please be patient with me as it has been a long while since I've written a single thing, ahah. Anyway! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! ... Erm... Fic.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** Luna does not own the rights to Harry Potter. All characters and places belong to her unless OC. Thank you!

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Prologue

"Sir, I've found the child! She seems to be unharmed!"

"Good. Leave me. I will talk to her. We'll bring her to the Ministry when I've finished."

The voices sounded as if they were being thrown through a long stone tunnel. A young girl, no more that four years old, sat among the rubble of what was once her home, the charred wall of her once small, cramped bedroom the only thing keeping her upright. Everything had a curious haze to it. Nothing wanted to come into focus. Someone crouched in front of her, taking her face in their calloused hands. Their face danced in her vision. She had long since given up on trying to focus on any one thing.

"Can you hear me, little one? Are you alright?" the masculine voice rumbled in her ears, ringing in her head. She tried to speak but no words came out. "What is your name?"

"H-Harlow Daxer," her tongue felt thick, like it had swelled to fit her mouth.

"Harlow… That's a pretty name," her vision was slowly returning to normal, the man's features coming into focus. He was rugged with salt and pepper hair, gray eyes warm and a smile that was inviting. He took his long coat off and hung it around the girl's small shoulders. "Listen, Harlow… Do you remember what happened here? Was this your home?"

Harlow moved her head from side to side, trying to bring the room - or what was left of the room - into focus. It felt very heavy, a literal weight on her shoulders. She felt her neck would snap beneath it. She let it rest on her shoulder. Was this her home? What had happened? She couldn't remember. She was surprised she could even remember her own name.

"Harlow, sweetheart? Did you live here? What happened?" the man tightened his grip on the small girl's shoulders. His big coat was beginning to fall off of her already.

"I… I-I don't remember… Where are my mummy and daddy…?" Her tongue was finally beginning to feel normal-sized again. The coat was secured around her shoulders once more. The man seemed to be having trouble with his words. But at the moment, she was unable to care. Everything started to ache at once. She felt so tired. Whatever had happened here she would remember when she had taken a nice long nap. She hadn't gotten to take one today, with everything going on after all. Maybe when she woke up she'd get to ask her parents. Maybe, just maybe she would…

Harlow's eyes drifted shut and soon she was sound asleep.

"Sir, she doesn't know?" a young wizard asked, his broad face covered in soot from the smoldering building.

The man shook his head. "No… She is so young. I cannot begin to imagine how she will take the news… Do we know if she has family still alive? I know they are a very sought-out family for You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters."

"We've sent word to the Ministry. We should have answers once we return…" the other paused, uncertain. "We should take her now. This is no place for her anymore."

The small body was scooped up off of the rubble. She curled easily into the wizard's arms. He felt a pang in his heart for her. She had lost everything in a single night and she didn't even remember… for the moment at least. But once it came flooding back there was no doubt in his mind she would be confused, scared, distraught… and if she had no family, well... where would she go? He certainly did not like the idea of sending her to one of those orphanages. Run by Muggles who wouldn't understand her. She needed a home. _I pray to some higher power that she is able to find one…_

"Sir…?"

The man cleared his throat. The younger wizard was staring at him, perplexed. "Right, yes… Sorry. Shall we go?"

The two left the destroyed house together. Harlow sighed heavily in her sleep, clutching the front of the man's shirt in her small fist. He gripped her tight, hoping the travel to the Ministry wouldn't wake her, and turned on his heel. To any Muggle it would have looked as if he had vanished without a trace.


	2. Beginnings

**Hello again! Please keep in mind this may be a slow build at first. I don't want anyone losing interest before the story even begins! D: Anyway, please enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER:** Luna does not own the rights to Harry Potter. All characters and places belong to her unless OC. Thank you!

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Chapter One

 _Beginnings_

She was surrounded by high walls of flames. Wherever she was had been quickly eaten away by the ever-growing fire, turned to nothing but ash and soot. Harlow breathed in the acrid smoke, her eyes stinging with tears as she struggled to see. And it was so unbelievably hot. Sweat poured down her forehead and neck, soaking her hair and t-shirt. If she didn't find a way out soon she was going to burn alive. But she was closed in on all sides. Escape seemed impossible.

A high, clear laugh filled her head. A gust of wind swept by her. The flames flickered, rolled, before eventually dying. Black smoke billowed from the smoldering remains of the room, the only light coming from the glowing red embers burning softly beneath the soot. A shadowy figure emerged from the smoke. Harlow couldn't make out any features aside from two glowing red eyes with slits for pupils. Fear gripped her throat, squeezing the air from her lungs. Her heart thrashed in her chest. _He_ was here. And she wasn't even sure who _he_ was exactly. The figure slipped a hand into their cloak and withdrew a wand.

 _"Avada Kadavra!"_

Harlow's arms shot up to protect her face. The spell hit her square in the chest, forcing her back several feet. Her body hit the ground. Everything had gone black and silent. Was she really dead? What had she done to deserve this? But if she was really dead, why did she feel cold and… light? Shouldn't she feel nothing at all? Or was this what death felt like? Like floating through endless darkness. Something wet dragged itself across her cheek. She jolted, jerked her head away so quickly she felt herself slip.

 _Thud!_

"Ow…"

Harlow blinked her eyes open. There she was, face first on her bedroom floor. Alright, so she wasn't dead. But then what was that dream all about? And why in the world was her face all wet? The girl peeled her face off the floor and wiped her cheek with the sleeve of her night shirt. Something nudged her on the back of her head.

"Boof."

Harlow turned her head only to be met with another wet, sloppy kiss from a large pink tongue. She groaned in disgust, swiping furiously at her face. "Bubbles! You about scared me half to death!"

The large speckled Great Dane was perched over her bed, his long limbs dangling over the side as he gazed at her, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. His tail thumped against her bed when she reached out to scratch him affectionately behind his ear. "I suppose it was time for me to wake up anyways. Are you hungry? I assume you haven't eaten yet."

Bubbles' deep bark boomed through the house in reply. He scrambled clumsily out of her bed (leaving a tangled mess of blankets and sheets in his wake) and skidded through the door towards the kitchen. Harlow laughed as she gathered herself off the floor, plucking her favorite sweater from her desk chair and throwing it on before following the massive canine through the house. Bubbles was waiting impatiently by his food bowl, front paws dancing excitedly. Honestly it was almost like he believed his was still a puppy. The girl opened his food cabinet and scooped out a large cup of his dry food and dumped the pellets into his bowl. The dog went to wolf them down when she stopped him.

"Ah, ah! Wait…" she warned, pulling a tin of wet food from behind the dry food bag. "You'll choke on those by themselves you great big hog."

Harlow pulled the tab off of the can and scraped in the wet food on top of the pellets. Bubbles stood patiently by, watching her every move. She chuckled. "Okay, now you can eat."

Almost immediately Bubbles pounced on his bowl and began shoveling his breakfast down. While he ate, Harlow made her own breakfast (toast with bacon and tomatoes and a cup of coffee) and stood at the counter, absently popping pieces of bacon into her mouth as she gazed out of the back window. The yard was expansive with a large stone fence blocking them from the neighbors' nosy eyes and intrusive chatter. A rose bush was blooming in the far left corner surrounded by lilies and vines creeping up the fence. Lysander had planted them for her tenth birthday last year. This year, her flower of choice had been lavender which was growing in a small planter in her bedroom. She was finishing her coffee when something fluttered passed the window. Harlow raised an eyebrow, setting her cup down on the counter and crossing over to shove it open. In flew a large tan barn owl.

"Hello," she greeted. It just stared at her with big amber eyes. In its beak was a rather thick parchment envelope. It plopped her mail into her open hand and took off again into the bright morning. Bubbles took this moment to look up from his food bowl. He licked his jowls and cocked his head. The letter was sealed in wax with a coat of arms bearing a lion, a badger, a raven, and a snake and was addressed to her:

 _Harlow Daxer_

 _Biggest House_

 _Barmouth Road_

 _Wandsworth, London, SW18 2DS_

Harlow fished around in the junk drawer and pulled out Lysander's letter opener, slicing open the envelope. Inside were two other pieces of parchment. With shaking hands, she read the thicker piece first:

 _HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY_

 _Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

 _(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

 _Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Ms. Daxer,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

The other piece seemed to be a list of supplies she would need for the year. Harlow stood still for a moment, clutching her letter in her hands. A sizable grin was slowly stretching her lips. Hogwarts. She had finally received her acceptance letter! She squealed. Bubbles barked happily even though she was sure he had no idea what was going on and danced circles around her, his tail thumping sharply on the cabinets. It was then that the front door opened and Lysander shuffled inside smelling of cigarettes and his favorite soap. He smirked at the celebration going on in the kitchen.

"Funny, you were never a morning person to begin with and now here you are dancing around in the kitchen at," he checked his watch, "Nine-thirty."

"I got my acceptance letter! It just came!" she bounded over to him and thrust the pieces of parchment in his face.

"Congrats kid!" Lysander pulled her into a one-armed hug, examining the supply list in the other. "I'm free for the rest of the day, so why don't we pack up and head to Diagon Alley? We can get all of your supplies and maybe some ice cream?"

Harlow's face lit up and she scrambled to the stairs. "Let me get dressed!"

She crashed through her doorway and hastily changed into a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt with a blue graphic splashed across the front and sneakers. Lysander was waiting for her by the fireplace, cloak fastened around his shoulders and a curious pot in his hands. He waved it around playfully.

"We might as well travel the Network to get there instead of going through that horrid traffic in town," he said. Lysander stepped into the fireplace and beckoned her over to him. He took a pinch of the green powder from the pot and she took her place inside the folds of his cloak. He gripped her shoulders tightly. "Diagon Alley!" he shouted in a high, clear voice and dropped the powder at their feet. Green flames roared up and engulfed them.

Harlow squeezed her eyes tight as the two were sucked downwards as if they were being pulled through a drain. She could feel the world spinning around her, her stomach doing funny flips with every turn. She would never say it to Lysander but she hated using the Floo Network almost as much as side-along Apparating. Finally, after several nauseating moments, Harlow tumbled forward onto her backside followed closely by Lysander's stumbling feet.

"There we are!" he breathed, brushing the soot and ash off of his cloak. Her hoisted Harlow onto her feet and guided her around the corner of the building and onto the cobblestone street of Diagon Alley. Witches and wizards of all shapes and sizes browsed through the windows of the many shops that lined the road. Owls screeched from their cages, cats yowled and toads croaked from the arms of their new doey-eyed owners, a young man staggered underneath the weight of the brown packages he was carrying. Harlow's chest swelled with joy. She loved Diagon Alley.

"C'mon Lysie! What's first on the list?" she bounced on the balls of her feet, eager to begin shopping.

"It looks like," Lysander ran a finger down the page, tapped it, "Your robes. Madame Malkin's shop is right over here."

Madame Malkin's shop was crowded with bodies. Harlow browsed the chameleon skin gloves displayed on the shelves along with self-repairing robes and Whopperwear on magical mannequins that twirled slowly on their stands to show off the threads at every angle. A witch wearing mauve robes bustled up to them.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Harlow nodded shyly.

"Right this way, sweetheart."

Half an hour later, Harlow left Madame Malkin's with her new robes wrapped neatly in brown paper. She squeezed the package tightly to her chest, skipping happily several paces away from Lysander. He had her list under his nose. "Right then, next are your potions supplies and then your books. Then after that-"

"My wand?" she had been eagerly awaiting the moment she would receive her wand.

"I was going to say an ice cream break, but if you want your wand before then that's fine too," Lysander chuckled.

Soon, Lysander was carrying a pewter cauldron filled with books and potion supplies in one hand (feather light thanks to magic) and a strawberry peanut butter ice cream swirl in the other. Harlow bounced on the balls of her feet, licking her ice cream happily as she gazed through the window of Eeylops Owl Emporium. Green, amber, and yellow eyes gazed curiously back at her, cats mewing noiselessly through the glass, owls preening their feathers, and toads silently croaking. She smooshed her face up against the window. How she wanted a cat. An orange one with markings like a tiger, or maybe a Siamese. A white long-haired Persian tilted its head at her, flicked its tail haughtily before turning its back to her. She sighed. Maybe next year.

"Harlow, you're getting ice cream all over the window."

She peeled her face from the glass to see her treat melting down her arm, smashed on the window in a sticky mess. "Oh," she said, pulling the cone away. She supposed she wasn't in the mood for ice cream after all. She tossed the cone into a trash bin; Lysander used _Aguamenti_ to rinse away what was left of her ice cream from her hand. "Lysie, d'you think I could have a cat for school?"

Lysander considered her, nodding his head. "We'll see what's left after we get your wand. How's that sound?"

"Okay!"

Ollivander's shop stood at the south end of Diagon Alley. A sign hanging above the door read _"Ollivander's: Makers of fine wands since 382 BC"_ in peeling gold letters. A wand sat comfortably on top of a faded purple pillow in the window. Harlow's titillation swelled in her throat. She could barely stand there and wait any longer. She rushed up to the door and shoved it open. A bell rang somewhere in the dusty shop. A spindly chair was tucked in the corner, but that was the extent of the furniture. There was no sign of Ollivander. Behind the counter, long, thin boxes were stacked high to the ceiling, creating hazardous rows upon rows. Harlow cleared her throat. Everything suddenly felt incredibly noisy.

"Uh… H-hello? Mr. Ollivander?" she murmured. There was the faintest swish of fabric and suddenly she was no longer alone. Mr. Ollivander smiled at her from behind the counter. He was a thin man with pale silvery eyes that appeared unblinking.

"Ms. Daxer, my dear. It's wonderful to see you, just wonderful!" he said, his ever-present grin widening. "I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see you here in my shop. How is Mr. Rowley? I suspect he is doing well."

"Oh, he's wonderful, sir," Harlow nodded. "I was hoping to get my wand today."

"Why of course, of course, my dear! Come, I'll have you measured and we can get started."

Mr. Ollivander pulled out a long measuring tape and began measuring Harlow head to toe, shoulder to fingertip, hip to heel, round the head, nostril to nostril. It wasn't until he came back holding several of the thin boxes did she realize the tape was measuring her by itself. "That will do," he muttered, juggling each box and pressing one into her hands. "Ash wood and unicorn hair, unyielding, ten inches. Go ahead and give it a wave."

Harlow flicked her wrist; nothing happened. The wand was snatched from her fingers and replaced with another. "Cedar with dragon heartstring. Eleven inches and incredibly loyal."

But before she could raise her hand, the wand was grabbed up again and soon there was an impressive pile of discarded wands building up on the floor as Ollivander "tsk, tsk'd" at each one as he thumbed through box after box, wand after wand. Finally, there was a breathy "Ahhh" from a pile of boxes.

"Applewood and unicorn hair. 10 and a half inches, powerful and incredibly loyal. Go ahead," he slid the box lid off and offered the wand to her. Harlow tentatively plucked the wand from the box and was immediately greeted by a rush of warmth that spread from her fingers all the way to her toes. The wand appeared to pulse in her hand. Ollivander gave a cheer. She smiled. Her very own wand.

Lysander was waiting for her outside of the shop. In his arms was a sleek firey orange tabby cat with large green eyes. Harlow was speechless.

"Well?" he inquired. "What do you think of him?"

"H-he's… I don't… Wow," she stammered. The cat slinked into her arms. A deep purr rumbled in his chest as he butt his head against her chin. She rubbed his cheek. "He's lovely. Thank you so much."

"So what will you call him?"

The girl examined the cat. He rolled onto his back in her arms and reached up with both paws to bat playfully at her hair. "I think I'll name him Jupiter," she finally decided. Jupiter mewled in response.

"Are we ready to go then?"

The crowd that had been bustling about was now beginning to thin as the two made their way back to the Floo fireplaces. Harlow fell a few paces behind, revelling in her newfound school supplies. She couldn't believe she would be heading to Hogwarts the following month. Lysander had told her every story about his years in Ravenclaw House, about his days as a Beater for his House Quidditch team, even about his years as Head Boy. She just couldn't wait for this new chapter of her life to begin. She didn't think she would ever sleep again.

"Look out!"

Harlow snapped out of her daydreams at the outburst. She glanced up too late as a trolley cart rolled its way towards her at frightening speeds. Jupiter yowled and leaped out of her arms. There was a loud _BANG_ and Harlow was knocked backwards. Her head snapped forcefully back and cracked on the landing of one of the shops. Stars burst in her eyes and everything appeared to be moving in slow motion. There was a sharp pain burning its way up her arm. Dazed, she sat up, squeezing her eyes tight.

"Blimey, sorry about that!" a voice apologized. Someone took her gently by the arm and hoisted her back onto her feet. "We lost control of the trolley. Are you alright?"

Harlow blinked her eyes open, did a double take. In front of her was a boy with flame red hair. Behind him was another boy - or the same boy. She rubbed her eyes. She had to have hit her head pretty hard. She was seeing double. Her vision cleared. No, she _definitely_ wasn't seeing double. Two identical twin boys were looking her over curiously, unintentionally mirroring the same concerned expression. _Twins!_

"Are you okay?" the first boy asked again.

"Huh? O-oh, yes! Yes, I'm fine," she nodded, taking this time to pat the back of her shorts of any dirt that might have stuck. The sharp pain shot up her arm again. She grimaced, bringing her hand up to her chest. Whatever had exploded had left an angry red burn down the length of her arm. Both boys went pale.

"Merlin's beard, Fred. The Exploding Snap cards!" the other twin realized.

"God, we're really sorry about that," the first, Fred, apologized again. "Are you sure you're alright? We can get our mum to fix you up if you need it."

"No, no. It's okay, really. This isn't the first time I've been burned by Exploding Snap," she waved a hand. It was true. There were many nights where she would lose a round to Lysander and end up singing her fingertips.

"If you're sure…" Fred rubbed the back of his head.

"Harlow Daxer," she grinned, holding out her hand.

Identical crooked smiles painted the twins' features. The first took her hand. "Fred Weasley. This is my brother George."

"It's nice to meet you," she returned their smiles.

"Fred! George! Hurry up! We have to buy your wands before Ollivander's closes!"

A woman with the same red hair as the twins waved frantically at them from across the street. She was holding a stack of wrapped packages. George rolled his eyes. Fred shrugged, turning back to Harlow. "I guess we'll see you around then?"

"Definitely," she nodded. The twins ran off and Harlow scooped Jupiter up, placing him up on her shoulders.

"Harlow? Are you coming?" called Lysander from the fireplaces.

"Yes! Sorry!" she bounded over to him and soon they were twirling through the Network back home _._

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 **Please leave a review! They're greatly appreciated!**


	3. Friendships

**Hi all! I'm sorry it's been so long! but I'm finally here with a new update! I've been working on a few chapters that I'm hoping to bring to you quite soon! So sit back, relax, and enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Mads does not own any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. She just really loves the magic.**

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"That cat of yours is far too calm considering you ran straight through a pillar in a crowded train station." 

Jupiter's tail swished tranquilly from his perch atop Harlow's trolley of possessions. His green eyes were focused intensely on the large scarlet steam engine waiting patiently in billows of its own white smoke while students gathered at its doors. Lysander was positively beaming down at her. He reached out a hand and ruffled her deep red curls. 

"You behave yourself at Hogwarts, alright? Send me an owl when you arrive, and tell me all about it!" he pulled her into a tight embrace. "Here's to hoping you get sorted into Ravenclaw like myself." 

"Trolleys over here!" called an older man. He was a bit plump around the middle donning a dark blue vest as he waved a hand for the students with trolleys to approach him. "This way with your trolleys, please!" 

"I'll be right here to see you off," Lysander nudged her forward. 

The train's conductor continued to holler over the noise of the platform as Harlow approached with her full trolley in tow. She stood awkwardly by, nervous about leaving her things alone. The man took notice to her and grinned generously. "First time aboard the Hogwarts Express, child?" 

Harlow nodded. "Yes, sir." 

"It's alright. Just take your trunk on board and be sure to have your robes out and ready when we approach the school," he chuckled. 

Jupiter yawned, flexed his claws, and slithered his way onto her shoulders. Harlow slid her trunk off of the trolley (with some difficulty) and hauled it onto the scarlet train. 

Students had already began filing into the compartments when Harlow boarded, catching up with old classmates and tossing their belongings into the overhead storages. At the moment, she wasn't looking to mingle with the other students. Making friends could come later. Instead the girl found an open compartment near the back of the train and silently closed the door behind her. Jupiter chirped and leaped from her shoulders onto the seats. Harlow swung her trunk overhead and sank into the corner near the window. She saw Lysander standing at the edge of the platform, scanning the compartment windows for her. She threw hers open and waved. He grinned and waved back, shouting something in her direction. But the train's whistle blew at that moment, drowning him out. 

The scarlet steam engine chugged forward, slowly at first then gradually began gaining speed. Harlow watched as Lysander, as well as the rest of Platform 9 ¾ disappeared around a grassy knoll. It wasn't until they were out of sight did she realize she was still waving. Feeling idiotic, Harlow lowered herself back into the compartment and shut the window. Jupiter looked fixedly on the girl as she sat again. She reached out her hand and stroked the cat's head; a low purr rumbled in his chest and he arched his back whenever her hand hit home. "I'm nervous, Jupiter," she said. "But I guess I have you to get me through it, huh?" 

A loud thud had startled the two of them. Jupiter hissed, shackles raised, and sprung up into the storage nets, crouching low in case he needed to lunge at whoever it was that had slapped the glass of the compartment door. Harlow whipped around, ready to defend herself. But to her relief, the face - or, rather, faces - were ones she recognized. Fred and George Weasley, the twin boys she had met in Diagon Alley, grinned in at her, their flame red hair sticking up every which way. Fred - or George - opened the compartment door and stepped inside. 

"Knock, knock," one of them said with a devilish grin. "Fancy meeting you here." 

"Sorry about the fright," the other glanced up at Jupiter in the luggage rack. The fur on the back of his neck was slowly flattening, but his green eyes were large as saucers and fixed on the two newcomers, tail swishing from side to side. 

"Not our intention, I assure you," the first plopped down onto the seat across from Harlow, kicking his long legs up and propping them on the window sill. His brother followed, wiggling his fingers up at Jupiter, beckoning him down. The cat contemplated for a moment, eyes unblinking, before leaping down onto the back of the booths and sniffing at his hand. Finally, he decided maybe this strange boy wasn't as bad as he thought and butted his head into the palm of his hand. 

"Looks like you made a friend there, Georgie," the other, who Harlow deducted to be Fred, beamed and scratched Jupiter gently behind the ears. A purr rumbled loudly in the cat's chest. Fred turned to Harlow. "So what brings you here to this compartment by your lonesome?" 

"Everywhere else was full," she explained. Jupiter mewled and pounced onto her lap at the sound of her voice. 

"And you're here by yourself? No other siblings? That must be nice, eh Fred?" 

"I must say, I do envy you. You see, we were stuck having to deal with our dear older brother Percy-" 

"- I'm afraid he has this terrible condition that doesn't allow him to be any sort of fun-" 

"- Tragic, really." 

"Devastating. But luckily for us, our other brother Charlie was there to distract him while we escaped-" 

"- A sacrifice that was not made in vain," George clenched his fist and choked back false tears. 

For a moment, Harlow stared at the brothers with wide eyes. They weren't serious were they? Of course they couldn't be serious. It was so utterly ridiculous the words that came tumbling out of their mouths. A smile broke and she doubled over laughing, clutching the stitches at her side. Fred and George exchanged glances. 

"Have we said something funny?" Fred questioned. 

"Yeah," George nodded. "Our brother has a serious ailment and here you are, laughing like it's the funniest thing you've heard your whole short life." 

Harlow wiped the tears that had begun pooling at the corners of her eyes. Her stomach hurt from laughing and her face ached from smiling. She sat up, composed herself as best as she could. "I'm sorry," she managed. "But I've dealt with people like you before and I admit, you are by far funnier than the others." 

"Really?" Fred prodded. He could no longer keep up the serious facade. The devilish grin was back in place on each of their faces. "You've dealt with handsome, elfin brothers before?" 

"Please, tell us their names," George chimed in. "Maybe we can chat over tea and biscuits." 

Jupiter chirped in response to the mention of biscuits, his tail twitching eagerly. The three of them tittered with laughter. Harlow stroked his back. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed like this. 

"I'd say we have quite a while before we reach the school," Fred reclined in his seat again. "Anyone up for a game of Exploding Snap?" 

The cards were laid out on the floor of the compartment. Fred was the first to set off an explosion, filling the small space with acrid smoke. Jupiter lunged back up into the luggage nets while Harlow threw open the windows for fresh air. The three of them played for what felt like hours until Harlow glanced out the window. It had begun to get dark, the fading light throwing purple shadows across everything in sight. Through the darkness, she could see pinpricks of light flickering at them and the dark silhouette of a castle beneath. Her heart swelled with excitement; they were almost there. 

"I suppose we should change into our robes now," she told the twins. They stood and stretched, gathering up their cards. 

"We'll meet you on the platform then?" Fred asked. 

"I'll be there," she said.

The two left, closing the compartment door quietly behind them. Harlow drew the blinds and unpacked her uniform and robes. While she changed, the girl couldn't help but smile. Two friends made and she hadn't even set foot inside the school yet. She was suddenly filled with pride and a sense of determination that swept away any nervousness that remained within her. Maybe she would be fine after all. She was adjusting the silver fastenings on her robes when the train whistled and came to a slow, steady stop. Fred and George were waiting for her on the platform, easily spotted by their flaming hair. As she joined them, a cheesy thought entered her mind: This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.

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 **Review!**


	4. Pranks

**A bit of fluff, bu also a bit of development. I just thought this was cute a k.**

 **DISCLAIMER: Mads does not own any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. She just really loves the magic.**

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oOo

Two years later ~ 3rd year

 _oOo_

"You are both remarkably well behaved tonight… What have you done this time?"

Harlow had entered the Gryffindor common room with a large stack of books teetering in her arms. Fred and George were lounged about on the large squashy armchairs, flying paper airplanes with their wands. While this wasn't uncommon, the twins had been suspiciously quiet all afternoon. They had even done their homework. Harlow set her books down on one of the tables and turned back to her friends, her arms crossed over her chest. Fred was the first to speak and he whizzed his airplane passed her ear.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Harley," he grinned.

"Yeah," George added. "Isn't it best we didn't do anything?"

"I suppose you're right…" she agreed, but that didn't stop the sneaking suspicion that they were up to something. "But not likely. So, what was it this time? Or should I just wait and find out for myself?"

"I think you're putting far too much thought into this," Fred waved a hand as he unfolded himself from the armchair. "I am getting a bit restless, though. What say we go for a stroll, eh? Stretch our legs a bit?"

It was the wink he gave her that confirmed her suspicions, but she decided it would be best just to stay quiet and watch what happened next. Fred lead the way out through the porthole of the common room; though it wasn't particularly late, the Fat Lady seemed to be disgruntled as her portrait swung closed behind them, as if they had woken her from a nap. Harlow offered her a quiet apology before scampering after the twins. Their long strides made it hard for her shorter legs to keep up. George noticed her pace quicken and smirked.

"Sorry, do one of us need to carry you on our backs?" he remarked. Fred let out a burst of laughter.

Harlow huffed, swatting his arm. "It must be devastating being that tall. Say, George? How's the weather up there?"

"Cool, with a slight chance of rain, thanks for asking."

"Hey, being short isn't all that bad," Fred snickered. "Pity for us, really. If it rains, we will definitely be the first to know."

Harlow laughed and the three of them poked and prodded each other with their wands as they wandered the corridors. They passed Peeves on the moving staircases. Several screws floated in his hands and he had a wicked grin on his face, but paid no attention to them. It seemed the twins had a sort of relationship with the troublesome poltergeist and whenever she was with them, he left her alone. Even so, she wondered what those screws were to. Fred gave her a knowing look. So they were up to something, and Peeves was there when trouble was brewing as always.

They found themselves on the fifth floor, headed straight for the Prefect's bathroom and suddenly Harlow knew exactly what they had been up to. She seized Fred by his sleeve and tugged him back.

"You're joking," she hissed.

"Are we ever serious?" he grinned. She could not believe what she was hearing.

"Fred, George, no," she said sternly. "Your mother will have a hippogriff if she hears about this. A-and didn't she specifically tell you not to blow up a toilet seat?"

"She can't have a hippogriff if we never get caught, eh? And I promise we aren't blowing up a toilet seat," Fred winked at her, gently freeing his sleeve from her grasp. Harlow gaped at the two of them as they slunk into the empty private bathroom after giving the password. She didn't even want to think about where they had heard it to begin with.

The moment they were out of sight, she whipped her head around, quickly checking for any signs of Filch or Mrs. Norris before she scrambled after her two idiot friends. The Prefect bathroom was, to put it plainly, large and exceedingly nicer than the other bathrooms in the entire castle. The gleaming marble floors and walls were smooth to the touch, appearing to be freshly waxed. On the far left were rows of pearl colored toilet stalls, polished and well tended to. On the right was a large inground pool, what Harlow assumed was the bath the Prefects and Quidditch captains used. It was surrounded by gold taps of varying sizes with different colored jewels set in each one. At one end, a sleek diving board protruded out over the basin. On the wall across from the tub was a large stained-glass portrait of a mermaid. She was far too busy combing her hair to be bothered with the three obvious intruders that had just waltzed in.

Fred and George marched straight towards the toilets, checking the base of each one to find the one with the missing bolts. "Ah! Here we are," she heard George exclaim. Harlow hurried over to them. The toilet seemed normal enough to anyone who wasn't paying attention, but she knew that if someone flushed, they would be in for a very nasty surprise. The twins sniggered with their tongues between their teeth, obviously very pleased with themselves.

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me this plan of yours," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. The twins exchanged glances before shrugging.

"What's the fun in that when you could just see for yourself?" they chorused.

Fred checked his wristwatch and clapped a hand on his forehead. "Blimey, is that the time? He'll be here any second now!"

"Who?" Harlow demanded.

"Percy!" they explained.

"Quick, in here," Fred shoved the two of them into the farthest stall and locked the door just as the bathroom door was swung open.

They were balanced clumsily on top of the toilet. George was suppressing a disgusted groan as his foot slipped into the bowl. Fred shushed him, leaning towards the stall door to get a look through the cracks. There were footsteps coming closer and Harlow could hear them humming. She ducked under Fred's chin and squeezed an eye shut, peering out as best as she could. Percy Weasley was walking towards the stalls, a change of clothes slung over his shoulder as well as a rather thick book tucked under his arm. He was headed straight for the toilet they had tampered with. Harlow wanted desperately to stop him, but Fred laid a large hand in her shoulder and squeezed gently. He shot her a glance that clearly said "Don't you dare expose us." She glared at him, but she was too late to do anything. Percy entered the stall and locked the door.

Fred carefully lowered himself down onto the floor and unlatched the stall, stepping out and around Percy's. George followed, stepping lightly with his soaked foot. Harlow stood rooted to her spot on top of the toilet in horror as she watched her friends clamber into the stall next to their brother's. Fred slid his wand from his pocket and peered over the edge of the stall. And, just as the toilet flushed, Fred whispered "Engorgio." Harlow ducked out of sight as Percy hollered and was flung over his stall door, riding a turrent of water on the seat he had wrenched from the toilet upon his launch with his trousers around his ankles.

Fred and George could no longer keep their composure. Peals of laughter filled the room as the two toppled to the ground, tears of mirth rolling down their faces. Percy hiked his pant up as quickly as he could. His face was as red as his hair and he was drenched from head to toe in toilet water, which was still spouting out streams onto the marble. Fred was the first to collect himself. He wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "Didja enjoy the ride Percy?"

"Fred, George. What. The. HELL-" Percy's every word was dripping with hatred as he stammered to find the right ones. He was so angry he was practically steaming at the ears. Harlow had never seen him pushed to these limits. "With me. To Dumbledore. NOW."

"Aw, what's the matter Perc? Got no time for a little fun?" Fred jeered, but the look Percy was giving them was enough to avert their gaze to the ground, which was now accumulating a bunch of water.

The three of them left, leaving Harlow crouched on top of the toilet, too afraid to move. But she knew if she didn't, someone else was going to find her. After the door was slammed shut, Harlow slowly inched her way down off of the toilet and peered out into the bathroom. Not that anyone had come in, but it was better to be safe than sorry. After she knew the coast was clear, Harlow sprinted from the exit, threw it open, and ran as fast as she could through the corridors until she had made it back to the Fat Lady's portrait, panting, sweating, and clutching a stitch in her side.

"Goodness, dear girl," gasped the Fat Lady. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Harlow puffed. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest. "Pig snout."

The Fat Lady gave her an inquiring look before swinging open to reveal the hole leading back into the common room. Lee Jordan was the only one lounging about and he quickly got to his feet at the state of his friend.

"Merlin's Beard, Harlow. You look like you've just been racing with a werewolf," he commented, helping her into one of the squashy armchairs. "What happened? Where are Fred and George?"

Harlow held up a finger to suggest she needed a moment to catch her breath. Lee waited patiently while she steadied her breathing and made sure her heart was pumping at a normal speed before she continued in a shaky voice, explaining everything she had witnessed, from Peeves carrying the bolts he had unscrewed to Fred's Engorgio spell sending Percy sailing over the locked stall door on the toilet seat. By the end of her story, Lee was practically howling with laughter.

"Oh man," he chortled. "This has to be the best one yet!"

"It's not funny, Lee! This is serious!" Harlow wrung her hands in her lap. "They could be in serious trouble! This could be it for them!"

"Relax, Harley! This is Fred and George we're talking about. They'll be fine."

Harlow wasn't listening. She had a sudden, horrible vision of McGonagall snapping the twins' wands in half and sent away from the school forever. What if they really were expelled? What would she do without them? What would they do? Their mother would be absolutely furious at them. Her heart began racing all over again.

Just then, the portrait door swung open and Fred and George Weasley stepped through, their stupid freckled faces grinning from ear to ear. Harlow shot up out of her seat. Lee grinned. "Told you," he muttered.

"I say, Fred," George started. "That was quite the adventure."

"I must agree, Georgie. Shall we add this one to the books then?" Fred nodded.

"Most definitely."

"You-" Harlow struggled to find the words she was looking for. She was so relieved they weren't expelled, but she was also so angry at them for putting themselves in trouble's way like that. She marched up to them before she could pick an emotion and slapped both of them hard across their faces. "-complete ARSES Fred and George Weasley!"

"Bloody Hell, Harley," George exclaimed, cupping his already reddening cheek. "What was that for?"

"What was that for?!" she shrieked. "You could have been expelled! You could have been sent away forever and leave me here to finish without you!"

"Aw, would you really miss us that much?" Fred fluttered his eyelashes at her. There was a prominent handprint blooming on his face where she had slapped him. Served him right.

She turned away from them and crossed her arms, a pout forming on her lips. She ought to give them the silent treatment. "You're lucky I only slapped you, you idiots."

"Bless her heart, she does care," George sighed.

"Oi, you two," Lee said. "How'd you get out of punishment from Percy?"

"Gave him the slip," George smirked. "It was easy-"

"- Tosser forgot the password to Dumbledore's office-"

"- So while he was busy trying different ones-"

"- We bailed."

"Won't hear the end of it though. He's already sent an owl to mum so we're expecting to get a Howler in the morning," neither seemed bothered by this.

Harlow couldn't believe their lack of discipline. She was worried their pranks would go too far, as they may have tonight, and they were thrown out of Hogwarts for good. Her heart sank at the thought of them leaving her behind. She turned to head to the girls' dormitory. A hand gripped her wrist as she reached the staircase. Fred silently pleaded with hazel eyes while Lee and George animatedly discussed their side of the prank.

"You know we always find a way out of trouble, Harley," he told her.

"Yes, but what if it was different this time? Percy looked ready to curse you to death without a second thought," she sighed and sat heavily onto the stone steps. Fred plopped down in front of her.

"Percy talks big, but he's the biggest pushover you'll ever meet - besides Ron, that is," he chuckled. "Was it really that big a deal?" he asked suddenly.

Was it? It wasn't like they hadn't pulled something this ridiculous before in the past. In fact, now that he mentioned it, they had always managed to give Filch or anyone else who caught them the slip, always seemed to narrowly avoid getting expelled and landed in weeks worth of detention instead. So why did it bother her now? What on earth could have possibly been different this time? She sighed again, shaking her head.

"No, I suppose it wasn't," she muttered. "Sorry I slapped you. Does it hurt?"

"What, this?" Fred grazed his fingers over his cheek. The red handprint was slowly fading. "Nah. You'll have to try a lot harder than that to break me." He winked at her. Something in her chest fluttered briefly.

Harlow stood, stretching her arms over her head. "You boys best be getting to bed then. You have your first Quidditch match of the season is tomorrow and you'll need the rest. And you said something earlier about a surprise? May I ask what it is?"

Fred grinned. "You are the only person I'm telling outside of the team, so don't go yapping that big mouth of yours and confirm the rumors that have been spreading," Harlow rolled her eyes. "Harry Potter was made out Seeker for the season," he whispered.

"Harry was?" Harlow gasped. "But he's a first year! He's got to be really talented for them to bend the rules like that."

"We'll see tomorrow won't we?"

"Go to bed, Fred Weasley."

"Yes, mum."

Harlow climbed the stairs to the girls' dormitory where the other girls were fast asleep. She sank into her own sheets, burying her head underneath the pillows. Her chest was still fluttering and no matter what she did she wasn't able to make it stop. What was this? It wasn't particularly frightening, but it was an odd warmth that grew with every beat of her heart that now seemed painfully loud in the silent room. Harlow closed her eyes. It was becoming almost comforting, whatever this warmth was washed over her entire body and she slipped into an easy sleep, Fred Weasley's hazel eyes gracing dreams that would be forgotten come morning.

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	5. Secrets

**We're diving a bit deeper into Harlow's past! This is where things will probably slow down a bit. There will be one more time skip before it will be within the same time frame, so try and bare with me! I appreciate it!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Mads does not own any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. She just really loves the magic.**

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oOo

One year later ~ Fourth year

 _oOo_

When Transfiguration class was over, students collected their things and rushed out of the classroom to gather in the Great Hall for lunch. Everyone except Harlow. The girl stayed in her seat, her head down and her books neatly stacked in front of her as she waited for the room to empty before she went through with her plan. Fred and George looked at her curiously and Fred finally poked her shoulder with the tip of his quill.

"Oi, Harley," he said. "You coming? You better get a move on or Ron'll eat all of the good food before you can even touch it."

"You go on ahead," she told them, offering them her best smile. "I'll meet you down there."

George shrugged. "Suit yourself. C'mon Freddie. We'll see you in a little while then!"

"We'll save you a seat," Fred told her and followed his brother out of the classroom.

Harlow's stomach was twisted in knots as she stood to approach Professor McGonagall. She wasn't sure how this conversation was to go but she had convinced herself this morning to at least give it a shot. McGonagall hadn't even noticed her standing at her desk until she cleared her throat. The woman raised her eyes over her spectacles.

"Miss Daxer," she said, a bit surprised. "I thought you might have gone to the Great Hall with the others. Is everything alright?"

"O-oh, yes! Everything is fine, Professor. It's just- ah, well…" she was suddenly losing her nerve. What was she even doing, asking a teacher a question like this? But Professor McGonagall was her only chance unless she wanted to sneak into the Restricted Section of the library. "I-i was only wondering if… if you could teach me how to- uh… how to become an Animagus…?"

McGonagall was silent for a long moment as she studied Harlow's face, her mouth open slightly in surprise. She knew this had been a bad idea. Why on earth would McGonagall teach her something as dangerous as becoming an Animagus. She was about to apologize and tell the Professor to forget she asked such a silly question and bolt out of there as fast as she could when McGonagall spoke.

"I'm not sure why you would ask me of all people to teach you a trick like that," she started. "It's tricky and dangerous magic, Miss Daxer, and I wouldn't recommend going through it to anyone." Harlow lowered her eyes to the floor. Then, McGonagall added, "However… you seem to grasp the subject of Transfiguration far better than any student I have ever taught - even more so than Miss Granger, I may add.

"So I will give you permission to browse the Restricted Section of the library to find whatever it is you will need to learn," McGonagall took out a slip of parchment and scribbled a note for Madame Pince, the librarian. "This is very serious magic you are talking about, Miss Daxer. I expect you to follow through with this."

Harlow could barely contain her excitement as she took the permission slip from Professor McGonagall, who was smiling genuinely at her. "Your father was exceedingly talented in Transfiguration as well, you know. He learned how to master being an Animagus in practically no time at all."

Harlow thanked McGonagall and gathered her things before bounding out of the classroom and towards the Great Hall. Fred and George had saved her a sear in between them at the Gryffindor table. She slipped the note in her pocket before squeezing between them. Fred quirked an eyebrow at her.

"It's terribly rude to keep secrets from your friends, Harley," he said, gesturing to her pocket.

"Yeah," George added. "What was that?"

"I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say just yet," Harlow explained, leaning into the table to close up her pocket from them. "When I can, you already know you'll be the first ones to be told."

"Crikey! The suspense is killing us!" George feigned impatience, holding his hand to his forehead dramatically. Fred kept his eyes on her pocket throughout the rest of the meal.

After they had finished eating, Harlow headed directly towards the library, eager to begin reading about how to become an Animagus. She had just taken the permission slip out of her pocket when it was snatched from her fingers. "Fred!" Fred Weasley held it over her head, out of her reach, his ever-present smirk stretching to an outright playful grin. "Give that back!"

"No secrets!" he said, and read the slip. His eyes widened. "An Animagus? Harley… you're serious? You want to learn how to become an animal? Like Professor McGonagall?"

Harlow seized the parchment back and held it tightly to her chest. "I just… wanted to see if I could do it."

"I never said you wouldn't be able to do it," Fred defended. "You're brilliant in Transfiguration and Potions. It's just a bit surprising, is all."

"You can't tell anyone, Fred. Not even your brother," Harlow demanded. "I mean it! I want to do this. I have to do this…"

"Alright, alright. You have my word," he said. "I won't tell a soul."

"You promise?"

"Promise," he winked at her.

She smiled. "Good. Would you like to join me?"

"Me? In the library? You must be joking."

"Fine. I'll see you in the common room then."

Harlow entered the library, her hands suddenly turning ice cold as she approached Madam Pince with McGonagall's slip. Madam Pince was a stern woman who followed the rules far too closely; one of the reasons the twins never came in here - that and they never liked studying too much, but she always made sure their work was done anyways. Madam Pince was sending returned books to their proper places with a wave of her wand when Harlow cleared her throat. The woman turned and fixed her irritable gaze on her. Harlow's words were lost. She quietly handed Madam Pince her note which she took and glanced over briefly before turning swiftly on her heels and marching towards the back section of the library.

"Not one of these books leaves this area under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

"Crystal, ma'am," Harlow muttered. Madam Pince nodded and returned to her book sorting.

Harlow browsed through the Restricted section for hours. She read through volume after dusty volume of spell books without much luck. There was nothing about how to become an Animagus in any of them. Defeated, Harlow sat back in her seat. She was sure she would have found it by now. It had to be back here after all; McGonagall wouldn't have given her permission to read in the Restricted Section if the answer hadn't been back here. She suddenly bolted upright in her seat. Wait a minute, she thought, reaching into her bag and retrieving her own notes from class. She shuffled through the parchment, scanning through each one until she finally found what she had been looking for. They had learned briefly about Animagi weeks ago, however it had not been in Transfiguration, but in potions. To become an Animagus, one had to create a tricky and dangerous potion. She had been looking in the wrong places the whole time.

Harlow browsed again, this time looking for potions and it wasn't long before the right book was finally in her hands. She sat heavily in her seat and leafed through the thick, dusty volume. It contained darker magic than she was expecting, horrible concoctions that weren't taught in Potions class - and for good reason, she supposed. Finally, she found the one that would help her in her quest to become an Animagus.

It looked… complicated. Impossible, even. She could see why Animagi were so rare these days. The ingredients included the leaf of a mandrake that had to be kept kept inside her mouth for one month, dew from an area that has been untouched by sunlight and undisturbed by human feet for seven days, a full moon uncovered by clouds, and a lightning storm. The script also contained horrific side effects that may happen if the potion is not done correctly. Harlow swallowed. What had she gotten herself into?

But she had to go through with this. She already told herself she was going to. She was going to do this… for her father. Harlow took out a fresh piece of parchment and her quill and began writing down the process as well as any side notes she might need. When she was finished, she read it over. Who knew how long this would take? A lightning storm could happen within the next week or even take so much as years to happen. She was suddenly very nervous. What if something went wrong? What if she was unable to make it correctly? What would happen to her? No, she mustn't think about that, she told herself. McGonagall obviously saw potential in her. Otherwise, why would she allow her to do something so tricky and possibly dangerous?

Harlow piled her things into her bag once more, clutching her notes in her hand. She thanked Madam Pince quietly on her way out and trudged slowly back to the Gryffindor common room. Fred and George were waiting for her when she arrived. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were also there, but their heads were together, lost in conversation. They did that a lot, she noticed. Harlow folded her notes and stuffed them in her pocket before she greeted her friends.

"We were just about to head to the Quidditch pitch for practice," Fred explained. "Care to join us?"

She needed to sneak into Professor Sprout's greenhouse to collect her mandrake leaf. This was the perfect excuse. Harlow nodded. "Sounds like fun."

"Excellent," the two chorused.

The three of them headed to the Quidditch pitch together. The crisp November air nipped at their noses as they crossed the grounds. Harlow spotted the greenhouses just over a grassy hill in the distance. She stopped, thinking quickly. "I forgot my binoculars in the common room," she bluffed, hoping it sounded sincere. "I won't be able to watch you practice without them, especially with it getting dark."

The twins shrugged. Fred's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he turned and jogged after his brother. When she was sure they weren't looking, Harlow backed away towards the greenhouses, making a break for it when Fred and George disappeared into the pitch. The greenhouses were dark as she snuck around the back to the one reserved for older students. Greenhouse 2 was where the mandrakes were held. But when she tried the door, she found it had been locked. Damn! Harlow squished her face up against the warm glass, squinting to see if anyone was inside. There didn't seem to be anyone other than the plants snug in their pots.

There had to be a window she could pry open. The mandrakes were lined up against the far wall. She could see their distinct branches poking up over the edges of their planters.

She sidled against the outer walls, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be watching her. The only thing standing between her and the mandrake leaf was the glass wall of the greenhouse. But to her great joy, there was a window ajar just over the last planted mandrake. She carefully pushed it open more, clipped a leaf, stowed it away in her pocket, and was out of sight before anyone would have the chance of seeing her snooping about. She made it back to the pitch just as the Gryffindor team began their practice. Apparently, a few of the members had been late and Wood refused to start without them.

It wasn't until they were all back in the common room did Harlow realize she would have difficulty keeping the mandrake leaf in her mouth. With Fred and George as her best friends and Snape constantly picking on her during classes, she wasn't sure she could keep the thing sealed away on her tongue for more than two hours let alone a whole month. While she was sure she could manage a few words without sounding like her tongue had swelled to fit her mouth, she was sure someone would question her about it. She pulled Fred aside before going to bed. He was, after all, the only one that knew about this whole thing.

"You have to keep it in your mouth for a whole month?" he questioned after she had finished explaining her dilemma to him. "Blimey, Harley. People will think you've suddenly decided to live your life as a mute."

"Which is why I need you to back me up," she stated. "Tell them I've come down with a bad cold and I've lost my voice."

"I'd say 'Do it yourself' but it seems like you won't be able to do that, will you?" Fred joked. Harlow swatted his arm. "Ouch, easy. I'm only joking. So, when d'you have to do this rubbish anyway?"

"Full moon to full moon. And the moonlight can't be covered by clouds," she explained. "It's… very complicated. You're just going to have to trust me on this one."

She let him peer at the notes she had taken out of the book in the Restricted Section. "If this goes wrong, just know that I get to make fun of whatever animal part you sprout."

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 **Review!**


	6. Fireworks

**I lied. There might be more than one more time skip but I swear it will slow down!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Mads does not own any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. She just really loves the magic.**

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It turned out keeping a mandrake leaf in her mouth was harder than she had expected. Harlow was creating copious amounts of saliva that quickly mixed with the unpleasant earthy taste of the leaf and it was getting more and more difficult to keep from sliding down her throat each passing day. She barely slept in fear of accidentally swallowing it. Good, she supposed, since it added to her and Fred's story of her being ill, which he had made into a huge deal whenever they walked together during passing periods ("Make way! Make way! Out of the way, you lot, or she'll cough up a lung on you.") Because of this, almost everyone avoided her at all costs. On the brighter side, Snape didn't pick on her during classes, and when he did, Fred jumped in and gave the answer for her, which made Snape's lip curl.

George began suspecting something was wrong, however, and pulled the two aside one morning before classes. He dragged them into an empty room and shut the door behind them.

"What are you two up to?" he demanded, his arms crossed. In some ways, at this moment, Harlow was strongly reminded of Molly Weasley.

Fred gave her a searching look. It was unfair to George to keep this from him, she agreed. Why she decided to keep something as big a deal as this, she didn't know. He was her best friend, too, after all. A moment passed and Harlow finally nodded, giving Fred permission to let out their little secret.

"Harlow wants to learn how to be an Animagus," he explained.

"And being an Animagus includes having to be mute for a whole bleeding week?" George turned his stare to Harlow, who scrambled in her pockets for her notes. She pressed them into George's hands and waited while he skimmed through them. His eyes widened. "Bloody hell, I would go mad with all of these instructions. So you have to keep a mandrake leaf in your mouth for a month?"

Harlow nodded and opened her mouth just enough for George to peek at the leaf sitting on her tongue before closing it again. George read through the notes a second time. 'Wow," he muttered to himself. "The rest of the potion seems easy enough. The electric storm is what might be the trickiest of them all. Who knows when the next one will be? You could be waiting seven years for it!"

"We're hoping it doesn't take that long," Fred grimaced. Harlow nodded, swallowing carefully.

"The Forbidden Forest barely gets any sunlight. And the only thing remotely human out there are the centaurs. We could get the dew out there, no problem," George was reading a third time. "This is the most exciting thing that's happened all year! Well, aside from the petrifications, that is."

"You're in the loop now. Don't go spoiling it to Lee after we leave here," Fred joked.

Keeping the mandrake leaf a secret becoming easier to hide. Harlow finished out her month of silence without any issues. They had even dared to wander the grounds passed curfew to scour for dew untouched by humans or sunlight. There was a small clearing further into the trees that was completely obscured by thick, wild brambles and canopy of leaves. They collected the dew in a silver teaspoon and Harlow spit her leaf into her small, moon-struck glass phial at the stroke of midnight. Exactly one month from the last full moon. She plucked a few of her own dark red hairs from her head and added both that and the dew into the phial, along with a chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth. The next thing was to store the potion in a quiet, dark place where it would remain undisturbed until the next electrical storm.

"There's an unused office in the dungeons," George recalled. "Remember, Fred? We hid behind the door and hung Filch by his ankles with a spell our first year."

"Ahh, fond memories," Fred sighed.

"That's perfect," Harlow said.

There was a howl in the distance. They suddenly decided they no longer wanted to be out in the Forbidden Forest any longer.

oOo

Weeks came and gone and the weather showed no signs that it was going to change it's clear, chilly skies. Harlow was still determined to do it right. She woke up just before the sun rose and made sure to make time as the sun went down to say the spell ("Amato Animo Animato Animagus.") while touching the tip of her wand to her heart. Curious, though, the last few days had been different. Each time she recited the spell, she felt a second, less distinct heartbeat within her chest. It was strange, but something that was completely normal as she found out when she asked Professor McGonagall about it.

Christmas was fast approaching and the twins decided to stay at the school for the holidays. Lysander was working overtime at the Ministry, so he would rarely be home to spend time with Harley. Ultimately, she decided to stay at school as well.

It wasn't until a week before Christmas was there a lightning storm. She was startled awake by a loud crash of thunder and her heart swelled with excitement and anxiety. It was now or never. Harlow bolted out of her four-poster bed as quietly as she could, throwing on her bathrobe and converse and headed down the spiral stairs into the common room. Fred and George were also there and, to her surprise, demanded they go with her for the final moment of truth.

"You didn't think you were going to do this alone, did you?" Fred smirked. "George, go out and see if anyone is outside the portrait hole. That way we can at least have some idea who we'll be dodging tonight."

George nodded and crawled out into the corridors. Fred turned to Harlow and pulled out a white marker. "What are you doing?" she asked as he took her arm. He rolled up her sleeve and, with his tongue between his teeth, colored in a small white heart on her forearm, right below the crease of her elbow.

"That way, we know it's you," he grinned.

George returned then, smiling as well. "No one is around. Moments like these that make me actually miss Mrs. Norris. Shame, really. Now would be the time I'd give her a good kick."

"Let's get going," Harlow said.

George's word rang true. The corridors were empty, save for a few of the ghosts gliding through without giving them a second glance. Not even Peeves was roaming around. Thunder rumbled through the halls and they had to stop and listen every few minutes, just to be safe. The three of them tiptoed down the stone stairs that would take them to the dungeons. With all of the petrifications happening this year, Harlow was surprised there weren't any members of the staff wandering about. She was glad, of course, since she was sure they would all be expelled if they were caught.

The dungeons were colder than usual and the claps of thunder weren't as loud down here. They finally made it to the empty classroom and Harlow went immediately to where she had stashed the potion phial. The liquid inside was a blood red color. George closed the door behind them and locked it, plunging them all into darkness.

"When I drink this, use your wands for light. I'm not sure what happens after this point…" there was a quaver to her voice. "But whatever happens, don't interfere. No one knows what animal they'll be until it happens. On the count of three. One… Two… Three!" She pressed the tip of her wand to her heart and said, "Amato Animo Animato Animagus," and downed the potion.

A fiery pain spread from her chest to the tips of her fingers and toes to the top of her head. Her chest rattled with two intense heartbeats, one beating faster than the other. She felt as if she couldn't breathe. She gasped, the heartbeats thundering in her ears, and dropped to her knees, clutching her chest. Her wand clattering to the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut and an image burst in her vision. A sly, pointed face with brilliant orange eyes and red fur stared back at her. This was her animal. It was…

Harlow opened her eyes. She was sprawled on the ground. She must have collapsed when she fell to her knees. The twins were staring in shock at her, and she could see, through the brilliant glare of their illuminated wands, grins slowly spreading over their faces. Had she done it? She didn't feel any different, though she did appear… smaller and much, much lighter. She rose to her feet and opened her mouth - but instead of words, a strange strangled cry came out.

"Harlow," Fred finally gasped. "That - that was-"

"- Ruddy terrifying to watch, but after-"

"- Look at you!"

"You're a fox!"

"Literally!"

A fox? Harlow whipped her head around to look behind her. A bushy tail with white fur at the tip swished behind her. Her coat was the same color as her hair, a dark red, with patches of white on her breast and stomach. Her tiny paws were a deep russet brown up to the crease of her joints and right where Fred had colored in the heart with his marker, was a small white patch of fur in the shape of a heart Harlow was so excited, she leaped for joy, kicking her back legs out, and landed in George's arms. She couldn't hardly believe she had done it. She let out another strangled, joyful cry.

"I never suspected your Animagus form to be a fox, Harley," he said. She climbed to the top of his head and plopped down. Being this small and nimble would be hard to get use to.

"Yeah," nodded Fred. "I expected you to be more of a squirrel, or an opossum. You know, something nervous and bossy."

Harlow growled and nipped at him. There was a shuffling out in the corridor passed the door. The twins froze. Harlow perked her large ears. It sounded like robes. Snape? The noise was followed closely by voices. One of them was definitely Snape while the other… she couldn't quite place it. Harlow dove back down and, without even meaning to, transformed back into her human form. She pushed the two into a corner where many of the desks were piled up and shoved them behind the barricade. They both whispered "Nox!" and the lights at the tips of their wands went out just as the door was opened.

"... Chilly down here, wouldn't you say Severus?" said the second voice. Harlow could now identify them as Professor Lockhart.

Snape grunted in response, obviously not thrilled to be patrolling his dungeons with someone like Lockhart. Harlow heard The Potions Master's robes swishing about as he swept through the room. Harlow, who was crouched in between Fred and George, clapped her hands silently over their mouths. Not that she didn't trust them to not make a sound but… she didn't trust them. In turn, they each clamped a hand over her mouth for safe measure.

"Well, everything seems to be in order here, wouldn't you say Severus?" Lockhart said, a hint of unease in his voice. "What say we head somewhere that's a bit less… dark and damp, eh?"

"Come now, Gilderoy," sneered Snape. Harlow could just imagine the snarky look on the professor's face. "Surely you should be use to dark damp places. After all, you go on about them in your books."

There was a pause, then Lockhart gave a hearty laugh. "So I did!" he exclaimed and there was a swish of fabric as he left the room with Snape following close behind. The door was shut and the three friends physically relaxed after several tense moments. Harlow yelped and jerked her hand back.

"Fred!" she groaned in disgust. He had licked her hand. She wiped her palm on his shirt as his shoulders shook with laughter.

"Let's get out of here. I have a funny feeling Snape knew we were here somehow," George said.

The three of them crept back through the dungeons, up the stairs, and back to the corridor that would lead them back to Gryffindor tower. The Fat Lady was wide awake when they approached her portrait.

"Where in the world did you three wander off to?" she asked them.

"Uh…" Harlow started.

"Oh, never mind. Just get in, the lot of you!" she huffed. They gave her the password and the portrait hole was revealed to them.

The common room was empty of students and it was much later than they had suspected. With mumbled good nights, the three of them trudged up the stairs to their dormitories. Harlow tiptoed to her bed and fell silently into her sheets, drawing the curtains on her four poster bed. She was finally able to process what she had just done. She really had become an Animagus. Just like her father. She would have to tell McGonagall first thing in the morning, then she supposed she would send for the Ministry for her registration. Regardless, she had done it. What luck, she thought. Harlow drifted off into an easy sleep.

oOo

Harlow's registration as a legal Animagus went… surprisingly well. A witch and wizard from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement came to the castle, asked the girl a few questions, and requested her to transform in front of them. Harlow had been practicing and becoming a fox was becoming much easier. She was able to do so without any problems and it was over as soon as it started.

Fred and George were waiting patiently outside of the empty classroom the registration had taken place. She smiled broadly at them and they both slung their arms over her shoulder.

"How shall we celebrate?" Fred asked, steering them towards Gryffindor Tower.

"How about a sneak peek at what we've been working on?" George suggested.

"Excellent," Fred grinned.

The common room was alive with chatter. Lee was entertaining Angelina and Katie with a few Muggle jokes he had learned over the summer. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting closely with their heads together again. Soon they stood and left. Harlow always wondered what they were talking about. Her attention was brought from the trio to Fred and George who had dragged her over to the nearest available table, where they presented her with a simple box with a large golden W stamped on the top.

"And what's this?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"This, my dearest Harlow," Fred began with a flourish, "is our very own brand of fireworks."

"Not perfected, of course," George added. "Just an experimental batch that we haven't tested yet."

"So this is why we can hear explosions coming from your room at your house," Harlow jested.

"Correct," they chimed.

George opened the box and held up a few colorful fireworks. Fred took one and prodded it with his wand. Almost immediately the small tube sizzled and flew out of his hand, swirling and doing loops in the air while creating a shower of dancing red sparks. But almost as soon as it had began whizzing around the common room, it exploded in a cloud of curling white smoke and the remaining paper fell gently to the floor. The small crowd in the room cheered, demanding more.

"Ah hell," George sighed. "They don't last very long, do they Fred?"

"We'll get there, George," Fred patted his brother on the shoulder.

Harlow dug through the box and pulled out a firework that was shaped like a vibrant blue flower bud. "What's this one?"

Fred's already wide grin widened even further as he wordlessly poked one of the petals with the tip of his wand. Harlow watched as the flower opened slowly, the petals quite large. They draped delicately over her hand. From the center, a colorful array of pink, blue and white sparks shot into the air and formed mored flowers that danced around Harlow's head. One tucked itself in her hair for a brief moment, though it didn't burn her like she imagined it to, before it fizzled out and the flower closed again. The sparks left behind a light floral scent. Harlow beamed.

"That was fantastic," she said.

"We live to entertain," the twins bowed dramatically and they spent the next hour testing their fireworks until slowly, the common room emptied one student at a time.

Harlow stretched her arms over her head and announced she was going to bed as well. She climbed the stairs, quite tired after the day's events and fell into bed. She quickly drifted off into an easy sleep for the second night in a row. She was asleep by the time the blue flower bud floated gently through the doorway of the girls' dormitory and sank quietly onto her nightstand where it opened fully without so much as a spark. Downstairs, Fred Weasley tucked his wand back into his pocket and followed his brother to bed.

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	7. Truth and Denial

**Here's where we slow down! This chapter may be a bit short since it's so late. I really need to go to bed, ahah. I'm debating whether or not I want Harlow to participate in the tournament or not. I have plots for each route but the decision itself is still up in the air. Let me know what YOU want to see!**

 **Another thing: I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed. I try not to do that too much, but I wanted to get this one out so I could start working on the other chapters that are the most important. I hope you'll forgive me!**

 **I would also like to thank users _Chelsea always_ and _fishie-twin_ for their kind reviews! You have seriously made my confidence in my writing skyrocket :')**

 **DISCLAIMER: Mads does not own any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. She just really loves the magic.**

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oOo

Two years later ~ Sixth year

oOo

Harlow was woken up by Jupiter's loud purring. The orange cat sat on her chest, head resting on his paws, his large green eyes staring at his owner's face as she slept. Startled, Harlow scooped him off of her and sat up, twisting around to look at her clock. Ten minutes before it was set to go off. She glared down at Jupiter, who simply rubbed his adorable face on her cheek.

"Why have an alarm clock when you can just own a cat?" Harlow turned her clock off and tumbled out of bed. Her legs had gotten tangled in her blankets sometime during the night and she landed hard on her knees on the floor. Her ruckus had been just loud enough because somewhere downstairs, Bubbles' booming barks echoed up the stairs.

A few moments later, she was being trampled and licked by Lysander's large, overly friendly Great Dane who was now expecting to be fed since she was awake. She trudged downstairs, prepared the dog's food, made herself a cup of coffee, and headed for the shower.

She was running a brush through her hair when there was a crash in the living room and Bubbles began barking again. Harlow, alert and cautious, grabbed her wand even though she wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school yet, and tiptoed down the steps. She heard voices coming from the living room, and they were ones she knew all too well.

"Bloody hell, that could have gone better," Fred Weasley was saying as she rounded the corner.

"I suppose we could have knocked first," George Weasley, Fred's twin brother, coughed.

"Lysander never mentioned having such a dreadfully small fireplace," the twins' father, Arthur, said, brushing off his robes of soot and ash. Harlow cleared her throat. The three of them looked up and, suddenly, she was sandwiched in between Fred and George in a tight hug.

"Harley! We've missed you!" they chorused.

"Can't breathe," Harlow managed through squished cheeks. They let her go and Harlow was finally able to get a good look at her best friends. They had grown a bit taller and their flame red hair was longer and even more identical than it had ever been since she had known them.

"Hello Harlow," Arthur grinned, pulling her into a gentler hug. "Are you all set?"

"Just about," she said, returning his smile. "I'll just need some help with my trunk."

"Excellent. Fred, George, you help her with her things. Don't give me that look, boys, help your friend."

Fred and George led the way to Harlow's room where Jupiter sat waiting patiently on top of her trunk. He mewled at the boys and leaped into George's arms. "I think your cat likes me a little too much," he said, scratching Jupiter behind the ears. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."

The twins hauled Harlow's things down the stairs with minimal trouble and they placed it in front of the fireplace at Arthur's feet. "Lysander said he would be here to see you off," he was muttering, checking his watch.

"He's been working overtime at the Ministry lately," Harlow shrugged. "I'll see him when it's Christmas. It's really very normal here, Mr. Weasley. I'm not upset."

"Well…" Arthur hesitated, biting his lower lip. "If you insist. We best get a move on. I suspect Molly will have lunch prepared by the time we reach the Burrow. Grab my arm, kids. We'll be there in no time."

Harlow gulped, taking Jupiter in her arms and tucking him inside her jacket. He had never Apparated before so she was unsure how the feline was going to handle the journey. George gripped the handle of Harlow's trunk and placed a hand on his father's arm. Fred held Arthur's other wrist and Harlow looped her arm through Fred's while maintaining a tight hold on her cat. There was a brief pause, Harlow squeezed her eyes shut and she heard Arthur turn on his heel, sending the four of them spiralling through what she could only describe as a very small rubber tube. Jupiter squirmed viciously in her jacket, but she kept hold of him as best as she could. Her breath seemed to be failing her. Her head spun and she felt as if she would be sick. And then-

 _Splash!_

\- They landed in the marsh just outside of the Burrow. Jupiter writhed free just as Harlow tumbled to her hands and knees, splashing water into her face. She sat there a moment, catching her breath and trying very hard not to vomit. Arthur grunted as he stood, soaked to the bone.

"Sorry, sorry. Must have overshot a bit," he said, wringing out the hem of his robe.

"A bit?" Fred said through a mouthful of mud.

"Mum'll have a cow if we waltz into the Burrow like this," George shook his head like a dog.

"Not to worry," Arthur said, gesturing for them to climb back onto dry land. "I've got that covered."

Arthur waved his wand and the mud and water was cleaned from their clothes ("A very simple charm," he said, tucking his wand away. "I'll teach it to you some time.") and the four of them made their way to the crooked house in the distance. Chickens littered the yard, pecking at breadcrumbs and clucking noisily at each other. Arthur removed his robes and hung them on a battered coat rack near the open front door.

"There you are!" Molly Weasley came bustling towards them, drying her hands on a towel. She was wearing a floral apron, her wand poking out of the pocket. She greeted Harlow with open arms and hugged her tightly. "It's so good to see you, dear! How has your summer been?"

"Lovely, Mrs. Weasley," Harlow couldn't help the smile that brightened her face. She adored Molly and the rest of the Weasleys.

"Wonderful," Molly kissed her on the cheek. "Why don't you go get settled in? Lunch is just about ready."

"C'mon, Harley. We've got some new things to show you," Fred winked at her, then turned to his father. "Hey Dad. You think you could make this thing a bit lighter for the journey?"

The twins' room was a lot cleaner than she had seen it in a long time. Though their ever-growing laundry pile was still tucked away in the corner, the floor was clean of any rubbish. Their beds were even made up. They had since lined their walls with Gryffindor flags and a peculiar piece of parchment with a large gold W painted in the middle. She crossed over to one of the beds and fell forward onto it, curling up with one of the pillows. Fred's cologne flooded her senses, subtle and musky. Her heart fluttered.

"Dogpile!"

"N-no!"

Two bodies flung themselves on top of her before she could protest. She struggled underneath their weight, flailing her arms and legs only to look like an overturned turtle. The twins laughed, both of them straightening up and sitting on her back.

"This is not a fun game," Harlow said, half laughing, half gasping for air. "Get off of me!"

"But why would we do that when you're just so comfortable?" George protested.

"Besides, it's not like you have any places to be," Fred added. "You're stuck here the rest of the summer, remember?"

"Yes, but if you value me as a friend, you wouldn't squash me like a bloody pancake," Harlow grunted, Trying to lift herself on her elbows with no luck. They were a lot heavier than she was.

"Such _language_ , Harlow Daxer," George gasped, feigning shock.

"I'll be using fouler language if you two don't get off," she said, only half joking. Her ribs and stomach were really starting to hurt.

" _Fine_ ," they sighed and the air came rushing back into her lungs.

"So," she coughed, sitting up on the edge of the bed, "what is it you wanted to show me?"

Fred and George grinned, but before they could speak, Molly's voice floated up the stairs. "Boys! The lawn needs de-gnoming! Fetch Ron and have him help you"

The twins groaned. "Guess we'll show you later then," George said.

Harlow trotted down the stairs, poking her head into the kitchen. Molly was busying herself with the dishes while a ladle was stirring itself inside a large pot on the stove. She wandered over to Molly and grabbed a clean dish from the rack and began drying it off with a towel.

"Don't trouble yourself, dear. I can get those," Molly protested, taking the dish and sending it to its respected cupboard.

"Nonsense. You do enough around here," Harlow said, taking another dish. "The least I can do is help take the load off."

Molly shook her head, but said nothing more, smiling gently at Harlow. They chatted animatedly for a while, about school, her home life, and the summer holidays. Meanwhile, in the garden, Fred, George, and Ron were rummaging through the overgrown weeds in search of the gnomes. George snatched one as it poked its ugly head out of its hole to investigate the noise and spun it around by its toes, flinging it over the garden fence and into the large field beyond.

"I bet I can do better!" Ron shouted and dove into the weeds to find his own gnome.

George turned to Fred, who was having a particularly hard time wrenching a gnome out from its hole. "So," he started, making sure Ron wasn't listening. "When are you going to tell her?"

"What are you talking about, Georgie?" Fred grunted, finally yanking the gnome free; it had taken a bundle of weeds with a good clump of dirt still attached to their roots up with it. With a good spin, the gnome went sailing over the fence, landing just out of George's best distance.

"You know bloody well what I'm talking about," George said, plopping down onto the ground, ignoring his task completely. "About Harlow."

Fred was silent. "What about her?" he finally asked, absently picking through the weeds.

"You're in love with her!" George practically shouted. Fred's cheeks burned but he said nothing. Especially not with Ron standing just a few feet away. "C'mon, you can't sit here and deny it. You'll miss your chance."

"I have no clue what you're going on about," Fred cleared his throat and stood up, turning from George. "I'm gonna go take a shower. There should only be a few more left. You and Ron have this, don't you?"

He hurried away before George could say anything else, slipping through the kitchen without his mother or Harlow noticing he had even passed them. He tiptoed up the stairs and shut his bedroom door quietly behind him. He braced himself against it, sliding down onto the floor. Fred buried his head in his hands, digging his fingers into his temples. Was this what it felt like? This burning, aching in his chest? George seemed to think it was. But there was no way. Someone as smart and beautiful as her would never…

He shook his head. No, he thought. It was nothing. Absolutely nothing. George was just imagining things. Harlow was his friend. His best friend. He stood and opened the door, marching towards the bathroom. There just wasn't any way that he, Fred Weasley, could be in love with his best friend.

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	8. The Ton-Tongue Toffee Incident

**I really like how this chapter came out. I hope you do too! Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Mads does not own any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. She just really loves the magic.**

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Harry Potter arrived the day after Harlow. Ron, Fred, George, and Arthur left for Surrey early in the afternoon through the Floo Network. Harlow helped Molly with a handful of chores and chatted with Ginny for a while longer after. The weather was nice and, while she loved every moment spent at the Burrow, she wanted to get out and explore, just for a little while. She stepped out, taking in the earthy scent of the countryside. There was a stream a mile from the Burrow and Harlow followed the bubbling water, balancing just on the edge like she was walking along a tightrope. Birds sang shrilly and merrily in the green canopy of trees above her head, and somewhere in the brush a fox made its chirpy cry and she was half tempted to use her Animagus ability to run free through the woods, but she really didn't have anywhere to keep her wand where a wild animal might snatch it for their nest.

Harlow found a fallen log quite a ways along the creek and sat down on its sun-drenched wood, pulling her knees up to her chest. Fred and George had finally told her what it was their father had planned for them all the night before. Apparently he had managed to get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, for the entirety of the Weasley family (save for Molly) as well as Hermione, Harry, Ron, and herself. A once in a lifetime event, according to Arthur, and Harlow couldn't be more thrilled. While she had never played for Gryffindor, she had always played skirmishes with Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, and Harry when the opportunity arose. She was excited. She had never been to a professional Quidditch game.

 _Snap!_

Harlow stiffened. Behind her, footsteps crunched over the twigs and fallen leaves. She slipped her wand out of her pocket slowly and whipped around, pointing it at whoever was sneaking up behind her. To her surprise, it was a boy, and one that she recognized from school. Cedric Diggory, wasn't it? He was a Hufflepuff who seemed to catch the attention of nearly every girl at school. His dark hair was swept back from his bright grey eyes and… he was smiling at her. Harlow felt her face grow hot. What on earth was he doing _here_ of all places?

"Sorry," he said, raising his hands as if to say he meant her no harm. _Of course he doesn't_ , she thought. Why would he? "I didn't mean to startle you."

Then she realized she had raised her wand at him - and was pointing it right in his chest. She hastily shoved it back into her pocket, muttering a flustered apology. "Cedric, is it?" she finally asked.

Cedric nodded. "You're Harlow Daxer, aren't you? You're friends with Fred and George."

"Haven't been able to shake them since first year," Harlow joked.

Cedric laughed at this, a quite, honest laugh, and something fluttered in Harlow's stomach. "They're funny. I've always liked their jokes and pranks."

"Sometimes I truly believe they live and breathe those jokes of theirs," said Harlow, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"So what are you doing out here all by yourself?" Cedric asked, hopping over the fallen tree and seating himself swiftly next to her. "Teenage brooding, I suspect?"

Harlow let out a laugh that sounded painfully like a bark when compared to Cedric's. "Something like that. But I could be asking _you_ the exact same thing."

"Me?" Cedric laughed again. "I live around here as well. I come out here from time to time. You know… to brood. Those damn teenage hormones and all."

Harlow let out another laugh and she wasn't able to stop. She clutched her side and Cedric joined her. For a while they sat there, just laughing until they slipped into an easy silence. Cedric checked the watch on his wrist and stood.

"I should get going. But I'll see you around, Harlow," he said, offering her another smile that made her stomach do funny flips.

"Sure," she said, and he left.

Harlow sat there a moment longer, gazing down at her shoes. While it was short, that was the first time she had had a proper conversation with Cedric. She had seen him at school, had a few classes with him, but they mostly talked about homework and whatever was being taught to them at the present time. Something about it made her… happy. She looked forward to seeing him at school again.

When she returned to the Burrow, she was surprised to see two new people sitting in the kitchen with Molly. They had the same flame red hair as the rest of the Weasleys and Harlow immediately guessed that these two were Bill and Charlie, the two brothers she had never had the pleasure of meeting. One of them stood; he was short and stocky, with a broad, good-natured face that was tanned with freckles like he spent a lot of his time in the sun. He grinned, offering her a callused, blistered hand.

"You must be Harlow," he said as she leaned into his handshake. "Charlie Weasley. It's so nice to meet you. Fred and George have talked a great deal about you."

"Nothing bad, I hope," Harlow said, returning his smile.

"From what I gather, you try to keep them in line at Hogwarts," laughed the other, who Harlow deducted to be Bill. He was tall, with his long red hair tied back in a low ponytail. A fang earring dangled from his ear and his clothes were - to put it plainly - _cool._ He wore a black shirt underneath a denim vest and styled jeans tucked into dragon hide boots. He shook Harlow's hand as well. "They're very fond of you, I hear."

"Harlow is a sweet change to those two," Molly Weasley bustled in carrying a basket full of laundry, smiling warmly. Harlow's face burned hotter with each compliment. "Do tell me when Arthur and the boys come back with Harry."

Molly left with her basket and not even a minute later, Fred tumbled out of the fireplace in a burst of green flames. Harlow was immediately suspicious of the evil grin on her friend's face. The smile was replaced by surprise when he spotted Charlie and Bill seated at the table.

"When did you two get here?" he said, crossing over to his brothers and giving them huge hugs.

"Just a few minutes ago," Charlie said.

George emerged from the fireplace then, holding onto what could only be Harry's school trunk, the same evil look that had previously been on Fred's just moments ago. That too was replaced by a look of surprise at the sight of his two older brothers. George set the trunk down next to the fireplace and took a seat next to Bill at the table as Ron stumbled out of the kitchen fireplace. More surprised looks and exchanges of greetings and hugs. Ron sat across from George, next to Charlie. The six of them waited patiently for whoever was coming next. Hermione Granger came bounding in a few seconds later.

Harry Potter tumbled out onto his hands and knees. Fred hurried over and helped him to his feet. "Did he eat it?" he asked, a bit too excited. Harlow narrowed her eyes at him. What had he done?

"Yeah," Harry answered. "What _was_ it?"

"Ton-Tongue Toffee," Fred said, an evil glint in his hazel eyes. "George and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer…"

At this point, the whole kitchen exploded with laughter, Harlow included. Hermione was beside herself, half laughing and riddled with anxiety. She knew Harry's relatives were downright terrible to him. She had heard stories from Fred and George. They had explained how the dreadful Muggles had barred Harry's window one summer and they and Ron had to rip them from the wall with Arthur's enchanted Ford Anglia. Whatever they had done was rightfully deserved, whoever cruel it was.

Bill and Charlie introduced themselves to Harry for the first time, obviously hearing all about him from Ron - and, of course, from every bit of news there was about him. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was their little brother's best friend. Of course they had heard about him. Arthur appeared suddenly with a loud _POP!_ at George's shoulder, looking angrier than Harlow had ever seen him.

"That was _not_ funny, Fred!" he shouted. "What on earth did you give that Muggle boy?"

"I didn't give him anything," Fred's evil grin returned, giving him a sort of impish look. "I just _dropped_ it… It was his fault he went and ate it. I never told him to."

"You dropped it on purpose!" thundered Arthur. "You knew he'd eat it, you knew he was on a diet-"

"How big did his tongue get?" George interrupted eagerly, eyes bright.

"It was four feet long before his parents would let me shrink it!"

The kitchen was alive with laughter again, but Arthur did not find this amusing. "It _isn't funny_!" he shouted. He began lecturing the twins, who argued that they only did it because Harry's cousin got a kick out of bullying him every chance he got. Harry earnestly agreed.

"That's not the point!" raged Arthur. "Wait until I tell your mother-"

"Tell me what?" Molly's voice behind them made Harlow jump. If there was anyone you didn't want to cross, it was Molly Weasley. Once she found out the twins had used one of their inventions on a Muggle boy, the Burrow was sure to go up in flames. Harlow, sensing danger, slipped out of the kitchen and to the safety of the twins' room and shut the door behind her.

She crossed over to Fred's bed and fell back onto it, staring up at the ceiling. She knew when the storm had finally calmed, the two would come, sulking, back to their room. Then Molly's distinct voice thundered through the walls, though her words were muffled. Harlow could tell she was really letting the twins have it. Part of her thought they deserved it. Pulling pranks was one thing, but pulling them on Muggles was another. Sometimes she wondered if their pranks would go too far one day and she wished they would take their education just a bit more seriously. But then there was the other part of her that knew they just wouldn't be Fred and George without their humor. For all she knew, they would just be a pair of Percy clones and clearly no one wanted that.

Molly's yelling went on for another few moments, every now and again getting interrupted by Fred or George attempting to argue only to get drowned out again by another wave of shouting. Finally, all was quiet and two sets of heavy footfalls trudged up the stairs and Fred and George stalked through the door, nearly slamming it behind them. Fred flopped face first onto his bed, letting out a long, strangled cry of frustration.

"Let it out, Freddie," George grumbled, sitting heavily on his own bed. "We can always make more."

Fred's response was muffled by his pillows and blanket. Harlow patted him on his head. "We can't hear you, Fred."

He finally came up for air with a gasp. "I said those took us _months_ to perfect! I know she means well, but the woman has no faith in us."

"She just wants to make sure you two have a future," Harlow said, picking her words carefully.

George rolled his eyes. "You should go down there and have a nice long chat about our future then."

There was a knock at their door and Charlie poked his head inside. "Mum is getting dinner ready. We're eating outside. Why don't you guys come help Bill and I set up the tables? It'll get your mind off of things."

The twins exchanged looks with Harlow and shrugged. There was no point in sulking through dinner. They followed Charlie out to the back garden where Bill was waiting. As they crossed the lawn, Harlow reached up with both hands and gave each of the twins' hair a gentle rub. "I thought your prank was brilliant," she said.

"Our biggest fan," Fred batted his eyelashes at her, both he and George hanging an arm over her shoulders. She smiled at them, wrapping her arms around their waists as they walked.

"Always."

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 **Review!**


	9. A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

**This chapter contains _A LOT_ of dialogue from the book, so I apologize for that. But there is a lot of my own things as well, so hopefully that evens things out a bit. And this'll probably be one of the longest chapters in this fic. Anyway... I hope ye enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Mads does not own any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. She just really loves the magic.**

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 _She was lying on her back gazing up at an inky black sky sparkling with billions of silvery stars. Every now and again, a shooting star streaked across the sky in an arc that cut through the darkness. The silver dots winked at her, so bright they felt close enough for her to reach out her hand and touch them. She tried lifting her arm-_

 _But her body felt heavy as lead. She tried turning her head from side to side, but it remained skyward; her fingers were cemented to the ground; her legs felt as if they were made of concrete slabs. Panic washed over her, but the only part of her that would indicate her inner turmoil were her eyes darting around in every direction._

 _Another star cut through the black, illuminating dark shapes creeping up around her. Tall, human figures in black cloaks donning eerie silver masks in the shape of skulls. They stood over her, some tilting their heads as if to question her. They were whispering to each other, but she could barely make out their hushed voices over the the drumming of her own panicked heartbeat. Then the figures raised their wands, pointing them towards the sky. The stars blinked out one by one until there was only an empty void stretched out before her. A flash of brilliant green light erupted from their wands and sailed high above their heads. Her eyes watered. She couldn't close them. Tears streamed down her cheeks but her vision slowly adjusted and she could see now what they had done._

 _A colossal skull bared down on her, made up of emerald stars, a large serpent slithering out of its mouth like a tongue. The mouth of the skull grew wider and wider and the snake reared its great ugly head, fangs bared, and struck down on her with a loud, thunderous hiss_.

Harlow shot up out of her bed, finally able to move her body, panting and drenched in sweat. She searched the sky frantically, looking for the strange symbol she had seen, but all that was above her was Ginny Weasley's bedroom ceiling. She was safe at the Burrow, surrounded by her friends. The strange people in silver masks were nothing but a silly nightmare and that skull and serpent was gone. Harlow focused on her breathing and soon, her heart was beating at a normal speed and her anxiety subsided. Next to her, Hermione gave a sigh and rolled over, her bushy hair tumbling over her face. Ginny had her pillow draped over her eyes. Outside, the sun hadn't even begun to rise.

The door creaked open and Molly Weasley's face peered inside. She smiled when she noticed that Harlow was awake. "Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?"

"Fine," she lied. She would never tell Molly she hadn't slept a wink unless she wanted the woman to fuss over her. Harlow didn't want her worrying about her.

"That's good, dear,"Molly whispered. "Why don't you head downstairs for breakfast? I'll be down in just a moment after I've woken everyone up."

Harlow untangled herself from her blankets and stood, wobbly on her stiff, sleepy legs. The kitchen was empty when she entered, though she could hear movement from Molly and Arthur's bedroom. Arthur was most likely getting dressed for the day's events. She took a seat at the table, stifling a huge yawn. She couldn't remember the last time she had been up this early in the morning. Molly finally bustled back into the kitchen and began prepping her pots and pans to make breakfast.

"You excited, dear?" She asked as she waved her wand to make a soap-soaked sponge scrub the bottom of a soup pot. "Not every day you get to see the Quidditch World Cup."

"Oh, yes. But I can imagine Harry is the most excited. I don't think he's seen anything outside of the Gryffindor team and what Ron has hanging up in his bedroom."

Molly smiled at this, but Harlow could make out the faintest of creases in her brow. "I'm so glad Ron befriended him. I told Arthur, I said, 'That boy will be lost and alone without someone because heaven forbid those Muggles he lives with tell him anything.' It's a blessing that he came into Ron's life."

Arthur sidled in then and he seemed to be struggling with looping an old belt through trousers that were far too big for him. He was also sporting an old golfing sweater that clashed madly with his flame red hair. "Perhaps I'll get Harry's opinion on these," he was muttering.

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley," Harlow yawned. Molly placed two mugs on the table filled with coffee, along with milk and and bowl of sugar cubes and headed back over to the stove where she was making a large amount of porridge. She began plopping cubes in one by one.

"Good morning, Harlow. Did you sleep well?" Arthur beamed, pulling out large parchment sheaves that she assumed to be the event tickets.

"Fine, thank you," she lied again.

Fred, George, Ron, and Harry shuffled in then, bleary-eyed and horrendous bedhead, but otherwise dressed for the day. The twins sat on either side of her and slumped their heads on her shoulders. She reached up with both hands and patted their hair. "Good morning, boys."

"What do you think?" Arthur asked anxiously, holding out his arms so Harry could see his clothes clearly. "We're supposed to go incognito… Do I look like a Muggle, Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry smiled, "very good."

"Where are Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-Percy?" George fought back a yawn.

"Well, they're Apparating, aren't they?" Molly heaved the large pot over to the table and started to ladle the porridge into bowls. "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."

"So they're still in bed?" Fred's head shot up from Harlow's shoulder, grumpily pulling his bowl to him. "Why can't we Apparate too?"

"Because you're not of age and you haven't passed your test," Molly snapped. "And where have those girls got to?"

She bustled out of the room and Fred grumbled into his bowl, shoveling porridge into his mouth. Harlow patted his head again.

After they had finished their breakfast, the rest of their early start was spent gathering their things in rucksacks. Harlow neatly folded her clothes and stuffed them inside, leaving enough room for her toiletries as well as a book she had been looking forward to reading. She double checked her belongings before exiting Ginny's room and heading for Fred and George's. She heard their hushed voices behind the closed door. She rapped her knuckles on the wood and the whispering immediately ceased. Shuffling footsteps approached the door and George's hazel eyes were peering back at her from the minute crack. He must have assumed it was safe because he threw the door open the whole way and pulled her inside before slamming it shut again.

"What are you? Unspeakables? What's gotten into you two?" she demanded.

"Keep your voice down, Harley," Fred hissed. "We thought you were Mum."

"So what if I was? What are you up to?" she narrowed her eyes at them.

Fred fished around in his pockets and pulled out several brightly colored objects. They looked like individually wrapped toffees. "It's what we used on Harry's massive cousin. We were going to show you yesterday, but we had to toss what Mum thought was the last of our supply."

"We're trying to sneak it out of the house so she doesn't find the rest," George added. "Took us ages to perfect them. If we have to throw all of it away, we'll have to start all over again."

"She already made us burn our order forms for our other products," Fred sighed. "So that's something we'll have to work on this year while we're away at Hogwarts."

The twins looked borderline distraught about losing their products. She knew they had been working on a lot of things, but this was one of the few that seemed to be perfected. Harlow looked between the two and finally held out her hands.

"If she catches you, she'll search the two of you, but she won't search me," she said. "So give me a handful and I will keep them safe for you."

"Have we ever told you how wonderful you are, Harlow Daxer?" Fred said, relief washing over him in waves.

"It wouldn't hurt to remind me," Harlow joked.

"You're absolutely wonderful, Harlow Daxer," they said.

They handed her a total of ten toffees, five each that she stuck in her rucksack underneath her clothes. If Fred and George were caught red handed with their inventions, they would no doubt be confiscated immediately. The three of them headed down to meet with the rest of the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione. The party sat waiting patiently in the kitchen.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny asked, clearly still groggy and rubbing her eyes.

"We've got a bit of a walk," said Arthur.

"Walk? What, are we walking to the World Cup?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows.

"No, no, that's miles away," laughed Arthur, and he began explaining how difficult it was for the Ministry to keep a very large congregation of magical folk hidden away from Muggles. Travel was strategically placed and careful as to not attract Muggles attention. But he was cut off suddenly by an outburst from Molly.

"George!" she said sharply.

"What?" George feigned innocence, but it was overlooked immediately.

"What is that in your pocket?"

"Nothing!"

"Don't you lie to me!"

Harlow knew she had seen the toffees in his pocket. She slid away to stand next to Hermione and Harry as Molly took out her wand, pointed it at George's pocket, and said, " _Accio_!"

The toffees zoomed out of his jeans and George made a grab for them, but they slipped through his fingers and directly into Molly's hand. Harlow had never seen her this angry before. "We told you to destroy them! We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!"

Harlow gripped the straps of her rucksack tightly as she watched Molly summon each and every one of the toffees they had stashed in their pockets and the folds of their clothes. She hoped her plan would work seeing as Molly saw her as their conscience and would never encourage them to do anything stupid. Little did she know she was their biggest supporter in their hobby - even though she tried to keep them out of as much trouble as she could while away at school. The last of the toffees flew into Molly's hands (save for the ten in Harlow's bag.)

"We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted. His mother tossed them into the trash.

"Oh a fine way to spend six months!" Molly shrieked, waving her hands towards the discarded pile of toffees. "No wonder you didn't get any more O.W.L.s!"

Harlow lowered her eyes. Fred's eyes were brimming with tears of frustration and George had shoved his hands into his now empty pockets, glaring at the wall to the left of his mother, his face burning. She knew Molly meant well. She only wanted a good future for her children, but Harlow agreed that maybe she was going about this the wrong way. Fred and George were brilliant and they put their talents towards something they believed in. Her heart ached for them, but she was glad for being able to save some of their toffees. She gripped her rucksack tighter.

Everyone was silent as they prepared to leave. Molly kissed Arthur on the cheek, still glowering at the twins who were refusing to look in her general direction. They slung their bags over their shoulders and left without a word to her. Harlow scrambled after them, unsure of what to say. She somehow knew Molly was going to find the toffees, but she never expected the outcome to be as severe as this. Her words failed her, but she wrapped an arm gently around each of their waists, pulling them closer to her as they walked. To her relief, the boys draped their arms over her shoulders.

"We appreciate you," Fred muttered, just loud enough for her and his brother to hear. George nodded his head solemnly in agreement. "So much."

"-And _behave_ _yourselves_ ," Molly called after them. They ignored her. Harlow twisted her head around to give her an apologetic smile.

Arthur climbed into the lead and they walked for a while through the chilly woods. It wasn't until now did Harlow realize just how early it was. The moon was still out, but a dull light sneaking over the horizon told her the sun would begin to peak over the edge any time. The three of them stayed behind the group.

"I'll keep what's left of your toffees in my bag until we leave for Hogwarts," Harlow told the twins. "Your mum didn't suspect me so it's safe to say she won't give my rucksack a good shakedown."

"You really are the best," Fred sighed. Exhaustion weighed heavily on his voice and she could see faint purplish shadows forming under his eyes. George didn't look any better.

"Even I thought that was unfair," she confessed. Fred's arm tightened around her shoulder. George rested his head on hers.

They walked for a while, the sun slowly climbing over the horizon to greet them, it's gold and pink rays washing over them with welcomed warmth. The ground beneath their feet slowly began to slope and each step they took made the muscles in their legs ache and every breath was a stitch in their sides. Fred and George crawled dramatically on their hands and knees, panting and reaching out for Harlow.

"Tell the others of our greatness," Fred croaked. He clutched his chest with a groan and pretended to die, flopping down onto the grass with his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.

George followed with a theatrical sweep of his arms and landed face first next to his brother. Harlow rolled her eyes, but laughed at their ridiculousness. She was happy to see their moods had improved since they left the Burrow. "C'mon you two. We're almost there."

By the time the ground leveled, Harlow's thankfulness for the rising sun increased. Her hands and feet felt like blocks of ice from the dewy grass and the chilly air that swept by them.

Arthur was wiping his glasses on his sweater when they finally reached the rest of the group. "Well, we've made good time," he said. "We've got ten minutes…"

"Is the portkey around here?" Harlow asked aloud, mostly to herself. Fred and George shrugged.

"It won't be very big," Arthur explained, squinting at the ground. "Come on…"

They weren't searching very long before a voice called them over from behind. "Arthur, over here! Over here, son, we've got it!"

Two figures stood silhouetted against the part of the sky that was still dotted with silvery stars.

"Amos!" Arthur smiled and the group followed him towards the man who had shouted. "This is Amos Diggory, everyone," he introduced them to a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard as he shook his hand. Amos Diggory held a moldy old boot in the other. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"

Harlow's face burned red hot as Cedric Diggory stepped forward, politely taking Arthur's hand. The Hufflepuff boy's eyes landed on Harlow and he smiled. She hid her face behind a curtain of dark red curls. Beside her, Fred narrowed his eyes just slightly, but said nothing. Amos and Arthur began chatting and Harlow wished her face would stop burning.

"How are you?"

Cedric's voice made her jump. He had crossed over to join them without her even noticing. Flustered, Harlow tucked her hair behind her ears while simultaneously trying to hide her reddening cheeks with her elbows.

"Fine, fine!" she answered. "How are you? Done anymore brooding since the last time I saw you?"

Cedric laughed and that familiar feeling flipped her stomach in circles. "You know it," he turned to the twins. George offered Cedric an enthusiastic smile while Fred stared passively over his shoulder. "How have you two been getting on?"

"Great," George answered. "Looking forward to that rematch this year."

The previous year, Hogwarts had the unfortunate displeasure of housing Dementors, faceless, cloaked monstrosities from Azkaban, due to the escape of the murderer Sirius Black. During one of the Quidditch matches, the Dementors had swarmed Harry while he pursued the Snitch, causing him to fall off of his broom. Cedric had caught the Snitch instead, not knowing what had happened to Harry. Upon hearing the news, Cedric had immediately called for a rematch, but Oliver Wood declared the match won fair and square, relinquishing the Gryffindor team of winning.

"There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?" Amos was asking Arthur.

"Not that I know of," responded Arthur. "Yes, it's a minute off… we better get ready."

Amos Diggory held out the manky old boot. With a bit of trouble, everyone managed to clamor around it and at least place a finger on the worn leather. Everyone was silent for a while and Harlow was afraid someone would be able to hear her heart hammering in her chest. Her excitement was rising as it dawned on her that they really were on their way to the Quidditch World Cup.

Arthur began counting down. Harlow braced herself, taking a deep breath. At once, there was a tug at her naval like a hook that yanked her forward and they were all rising rapidly into the air. Harlow's finger acted as if it were cemented to the boot. The wind rushed loudly in her ears and whipped her hair wildly around her face. On either side of her, Fred and George gave loud whoops of exhilaration. And then-

Harlow landed hard on her feet, but went crashing to the ground as the twins landed on top of her. The wind was knocked out of her lungs and she gasped, struggling to suck in air like a fish out of water. Cedric, Amos, and Arthur were the only ones who managed to stay on their feet. Everyone else groaned as one, sprawled on the ground, slightly dizzy. Fred and George rolled off of Harlow's stomach and onto their backs. She gulped down lungfuls of air. They were a lot heavier than they appeared. Cedric held out a hand for her and helped her to her feet.

"Welcome to our final destination!"said Arthur happily.

oOo

If the World Cup itself wasn't impressive, the campsite where they would be staying was. Hundreds of thousands of tents covered almost every square inch, each one as different and extravagant as the last. They passed one tent that had a garden attached to its front, complete with a fountain and live peacocks strutting and preening themselves inside the white fence. Children squealed and zoomed around on broomsticks that floated just a few feet off the ground. Ministry wizards rushed passed them, muttering frustrations to themselves and short greetings to Arthur.

They had neared the edge of the woods at the far end of the field when Arthur stopped them. An empty space was reserved for them with a small wooden sign that had "WEEZLY" printed on it. Fred, George, and Harlow sniggered.

"Blimey, we've been spelling our last name wrong for ages!" George commented.

"We've been lied to Georgie," Fred laid a heavy hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Enough you two," Arthur chuckled. "A simple error. Anyone could make it. There are a lot of families attending so someone was bound to slip up."

"Doubt it," Fred whispered. Harlow snorted.

When, at last, the tent was set up, the sun was rising higher into the sky. Harlow was feeling quite tired, the nightmare that had kept her up was long forgotten. She nudged Fred with her elbow. "I'm gonna take a quick nap. Come get me when it's time to leave, alright?"

Fred winked at her and she headed for the girls' tent, picking the bottom bed of one of the bunks. The cheerful laughter and chatter from outside lulled Harlow into an easy sleep. She dreamt she was back at Hogwarts, sitting in the stands at the Quidditch pitch. Above her, fourteen bodies were zooming around on broomsticks. It was Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor and the score was tied fifty to fifty. Two players were circling high above the rest like vultures. She could make out Harry's unruly black hair and glasses through the glaring sun and she guessed that the other was Cedric. Both boys were searching for the same thing: the golden Snitch.

Suddenly, Cedric took a steep dive towards the stands, hand held out as if to catch something Harlow couldn't see. But Harry did not follow. The Gryffindor Seeker remained high above the pitch, doing laps as he searched. But Cedric was pelting towards her, arm still outstretched. What was he doing? He was going to crash right into her! Harlow squeezed her eyes tight, waiting for the impact.

But she felt a gentle hand on her cheek, cupping her face and a thumb softly grazing her skin. Lips brushed against hers but before she could lean into them, they were suddenly gone. Harlow jolted awake. Fred Weasley was staring curiously back at her, crouched by her bed. His cheeks were flushed the faintest of pinks. He cleared his throat.

"Time to go, Harley," he said. "Come on! We don't want to be late for this!"

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	10. The Dark Mark

**HEY! THERE'S A POLL ON MY PROFILE REGARDING THIS FIC! GIVE ME YOUR VOTES! YOU WILL DECIDE THE FUTURE OF THIS FIC!**

 **Ohhhh snap! What's up everyone? I hope you're all doing well! Anyway... I hope ye enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: Mads does not own any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. She just really loves the magic.**

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"You're _gambling_?"

"Save it. We've already heard it all."

The Weasleys, Harlow, Harry, and Hermione were climbing the massive set of stairs to their seats in the top box to watch the World Cup. Fred, George, and Harlow were trailing just behind the group. The twins had just told her they had gambled their savings away towards a bet they had made with Ludo Bagman. Harlow had heard Lysander talk about Mr. Bagman and she didn't quite like him from what she had heard.

"You know he's notorious for paying back with Leprechaun gold, don't you?" she said with an incredulous look at her friends.

"If we don't get our money, then we'll make sure he knows we mean business," Fred shrugged, but Harlow could see a hint of worry in his hazel eyes. George's mouth twitched nervously.

They were seated at the very top box of the stadium. Harlow was not afraid of heights but she felt slightly dizzy and nauseated when she peered over the edge at the field below. She shrank back into her seat and kept her eyes forward. There were hundreds of flashes from witches and wizards using their omnioculars and a steady rumble of indistinguishable chatter. Harlow had never seen this many magical folk gathered in one place before. They had run into quite a few friends from school, as well as a few undesirable students such as Draco Malfoy and his mother and father, who happened to be sitting in the same box as them. Apparently, they were guests of the Minister of Magic himself. Harlow itched to hurdle over the seats and strangle him with her bare hands due to the constant jabs he took at Harry and the rest of the Weasleys. She remained seated, gripping the sides of her chair with both hands.

Finally, it was time for the match to begin. Bagman magically enhanced his voice so it boomed over the cheers and screams of the crowded stadium, announcing first the mascots of each team. The Bulgarians had brought veela, unnaturally beautiful women with white-blonde hair and skin that appeared to glow moon bright. They danced on the field and Harlow noticed Fred, George, and Arthur stuffing their fingers in their ears. Whatever was happening had made Harry stand and place a foot on the railing that divided their seats from the sheer drop to the pitch, as if he were considering diving off of it. Ron had begun to absentmindedly tear the shamrocks on his hat to shreds. Hermione rolled her eyes and yanked Harry back into his seat. Harry's eyes came back into focus and the veela went to stand at the very edge of the pitch.

Next were the Leprechauns brought by the Irish team. They sailed over the pitch, creating a large dancing shamrock in the air and began tossing pieces of gold onto the crowd like pelting rain. While people scrambled to collect the riches, Harlow knew full well that Leprechauns were mischievous devils that enjoyed tricking humans. There was a good chance that the gold was fake.

But the match itself was a spectacular sight. When the teams were announced, and each player came zooming into the pitch, it was unlike anything Harlow had ever seen. The game moved so fast, Harlow regretted not buying her own pair of omnioculars. Bagman only had time to shout the names of the players as they whizzed by, ducked and dodged each other, pelting after one another like angry hornets. Harlow was becoming increasingly dizzy just watching them but she was unable to tear her eyes away. She was practically teetering on the edge of her seat.

There was a collective gasp from the crowd as the Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum, took a nose dive straight down towards the grassy field, his arm outstretched. Aidan Lynch, Captain and Seeker for the Irish, barreled after him. Had Krum seen the Snitch? Harlow couldn't see any sign of the glittering gold ball.

"They're going to crash!" Hermione shrieked. She was right. The ground was feet from them and, right before the impact, Krum pulled up on his broom. Harlow's hands shot up to shield her eyes as Lynch collided painfully with the ground with a sickening thud that resounded through the whole pitch.

"Ohh, please tell me he's okay," she groaned, leaning into Fred's shoulder.

Free laughed, patting her head. "He'll be alright. Look, the mediwizards are fixing him up now."

Harlow peaked through her fingers at the pitch below. Lynch was surrounded by a group of wizards that were doing their best to bring the Seeker back up to snuff and soon he was flying back up into the air on his Firebolt, the front of his robes covered in blood, and the match resumed. The whistle blew and the Chasers zoomed back into play.

Ireland pulled ahead in fifteen minutes, the scoreboard reading one hundred and thirty points to ten. It was not looking good for Bulgaria unless Krum managed to catch the Snitch right now and lead with an extra one hundred and fifty points. And Bulgaria knew it. The team was starting to play dirty. One of the Irish Chasers, Mullet, flew furiously towards the goal posts where the Bulgarian Keeper, Zograf, zipped our to meet her. Harlow blinked, missing whatever had happened, the Irish crowd roaring in outrage. Whatever happened had been considered a foul.

"And Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to gawk for cobbing - excessive use of elbows!" Bagman's magically enhanced voice boomed over the crowd. "And - yes, it's a penalty for Ireland!"

The Leprechauns rose into the air like a glittering green cloud to form the words, "HA HA HA!" The veela jumped angrily to their feet and began to dance. The men in the top box shoved their fingers in their ears once again.

"Look at the referee!" Hermione giggled.

Harlow peered over the edge of the box and caught a glimpse of Mostafa, the referee, flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache in front of the Bulgarian mascots. People within the crowd roared with laughter.

"Now we can't have that! Somebody slap the referee!" said Bagman.

A mediwizard tore across the field and kicked Mostafa in the shins. Embarrassed, he began shouting at the veela - which the Bulgarians did not like. The Beaters landed on either side of him and they began arguing. Harlow rolled her eyes. Was this really the time?

"Two penalties for Ireland! And Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms… yes… there they go… and Troy takes the Quaffle," shouted Bagman.

The match continued and the ferocity increased. Now more than ever did the players look like furious wasps. Bludgers were aimed to injure, and one managed to hit Krum square in the face, breaking his nose. Blood poured down his robes but continued to play. The Seeker had the most intense look across his face that Harlow had ever seen. But it wasn't until Harry shouted that she turned her attention to the Irish.

" _Look at Lynch_!"

The Irish Seeker has taken a sudden dive. For the briefest of seconds, Harlow saw a faint glint of something gold speeding towards the ground in front of Lynch's outstretched hand. Screams steadily grew as more and more spectators noticed what was happening. Harlow jumped to her feet, her hands clapped over her mouth. Krum was a blur of red that pelted after Lynch, blood flying through the air behind him. They were level with each other, the ground becoming dangerously close.

"They're going to crash!" shrieked Hermione again.

"They're not!" Ron shouted.

"Lynch is!" yelled Harry.

For the second time, Lynch crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap. Harlow jumped with a shriek as he was trampled by a horde of angry veela. Fred and George were cheering loudly next to her.

"The Snitch, where's the Snitch?" she heard Charlie cry out from the row.

"He's got it - Krum's got it - it's all over!" shouted Harry.

The twins high-fived. They had won their bet after all.

"IRELAND WINS!" yelled Bagman. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH BUT IRELAND WINS!"

Harlow's head felt light and was filled with the loud drone of hundreds of thousands of cheering voices. The match had been wild and fierce and much better than she had imagined. She cheered alongside the twins, and she knew she would be hoarse and sore in the morning.

Afterwards, the lot of them, Harlow, Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys, headed back to their tents. Arthur urged Fred and George to keep their gambling a secret. Fred assured him they had big plans for the money they had earned. None of them felt much like sleeping. They talked and argued animatedly about the match over mugs of hot chocolate. It wasn't until Ginny had fallen asleep and spilled her mug at the table did they all change into their pajamas and head to bed. Harlow climbed back into her bottom bunk in the girls' tent, the aftermath of the roaring crowd still buzzing in her ears.

oOo

"Girls! Ginny, Hermione, Harlow! Get up - this is urgent, get up!"

Harlow was shaken awake by Arthur. It was dark, but she could hear the panic in his voice. She sat up and blinked blearily into the darkness. "What's wrong?"

She noticed now that the noises outside had changed. The celebrations were replaced by frightened screaming and the thundering of feet racing away from something. Arthur reached out his hand to stop her grabbing her clothes. "There's no time! Just grab your jacket and get outside. Quickly!"

Harlow, Hermione, and Ginny scrambled for their jackets and tumbled out of their tent. Harry and the rest of the Weasley boys were already outside waiting for them. Everywhere around them was chaos. A few fires from the earlier celebrations were still burning and through the dim light and rising smoke, she could see crowds of people sprinting through the tents towards the forest, away from whatever was through the haze that was creating sudden, odd flashes of lights and noises like gunfire. Drunken laughter and jeers drifted to them and she could make out dark shapes marching towards them. A strong burst of green light revealed them.

A group of wizards donning black hoods, their faces obscured by silver masks, came into view. Floating in the air high above them were four struggling figures that she quickly recognized as the Roberts family, the Muggles that allowed them into their campsite. They were twisting in unnatural, grotesque shapes. Harlow stared, wide-eyed and horror struck. What were they doing?

She could see more people joining the march and some of them raised their wands and set the tents ablaze. She tore her eyes away, taking Fred and George's sleeves. They gripped her arms tightly.

Bill, Charlie, and Percy emerged from the boys' tent, fully dressed and rolling up their sleeves. Arthur turned urgently to them. "We're going to help the Ministry!" He shouted over the noise. "You lot - get into the woods and _stick together_. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

"C'mon," Free grabbed Ginny's hand and lead her to the woods, with Harlow, George, Harry, Hermione, and Ron following close behind.

The six of them followed the panicking crowd to the forest. The colorful lamps that had lined the path to the stadium had been extinguished. Harlow slipped her wand out of her pocket and muttered " _Lumos_!" and a shaft of light illuminated her wand and their path ahead. Fred and George's faces were stark white, both of their brows creased with worry. Ginny was too terrified to speak. She was holding onto Fred's arm with all her might so she didn't lose him. Harlow stole a glance behind her. Who were those people and why had they done that to those Muggles? She supposed the Ministry was going to have a hell of a time trying to cover this up...

It was then that she noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione were no longer with them.

"Wait!" she cried, and Fred and George stopped so abruptly that Ginny nearly bowled her brother over.

"What? What is it?" George asked, taking his wand out in alarm.

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione are gone," she said, scanning the dark forest around them. There was no sign of the three of them anywhere. Where on earth could they have run off to?

"They'll be okay, Harley," Fred said calmly, taking her by the hand. "We have to go. They'll meet up with us."

Harlow was reluctant to leave them behind. What if those wizards got them? There wouldn't be much they could do at that point. Part of her wanted to tug free of Fred's grasp and run back to search for them, but her feet began moving with the twins on their own accord. Fred pulled her with until they reached the stadium where the rest of the witches and wizards had gathered. Children cried into their mother's shoulders, tired and confused. Others were shaking in fright. Some were simply silent, staring back into the trees with solemn looks. The rest were whispering to each other.

"Didn't that look like…?"

"No, it couldn't be… d'you think?"

"They certainly looked like it to me."

"Death Eaters, for sure."

 _Death Eaters?_ Icy dread dripped into the pit of Harlow's stomach. Death Eaters rampaging and harming Muggles at the World Cup? Would they be so bold as to do such a thing where there were plenty of Ministry wizards present? The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. But… if there were Death Eaters, then did that mean…?

Harlow shook her head. She would not allow herself to become even more paranoid than she already was. It had been fourteen years. Surely if _he_ had returned, the whole of the wizarding world would have known by now. But even that thought wasn't very reassuring. She pushed it completely to the back of her mind.

They found a spot along the wall inside the stadium. Ginny sank down onto the floor, visibly shaken. Harlow sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "What happened to the other three?" she asked croakily.

"They'll be okay," Fred repeated, taking a seat next to Harlow. George sat himself on Ginny's other side.

"Who were those people?" their sister swallowed hard, trying to add strength to her voice.

"We don't know," the twins chorused.

"What were they doing with those Muggles?" Ginny's eyes were the size of saucers.

"We don't know that either…"

They sat in silence for what felt like forever. The drone of voices continued, and Harlow felt as if she were in a daze. Every noise sounded like it was being thrown through an endless tunnel. She was vaguely aware of Fred's hand on her head, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had still not returned. Harlow finally tore away from the wall and climbed to her feet. She couldn't stay here any longer.

"Where are you going?" Fred demanded, startled.

"Your brother and his friends haven't come back," she said, taking her wand back out of her pocket. She rounded on him. "Aren't you _worried_ about him? We should go look for him!"

"Of course I'm worried about him!" Fred looked hurt. "But Dad told us to stick together and I don't think we should leave here."

"Oh, _now_ you do as you're told?" she shot back. She shook her head. "I'm going to look for them."

She pushed her way through the crowd, throwing open the doors that lead outside. Footsteps chased after her.

"Harlow, wait!" Fred slid to a stop next to her, taking her arm. "I don't think this is a good ide-"

But he was cut off by a great flash of light somewhere within the trees. They watched as thousands of emerald stars exploded in the sky over their heads. They joined together to form a colossal skull, a large serpent slithering out of its mouth. Harlow's heart sank and several people screamed, pointing frantically up at the symbol above them. It was the same as her dream. She sank to her knees, her eyes transfixed on the serpent that appeared to be watching her.

Fred hauled her back onto to her feet, turning her deliberately away from it and shielding her with his body. "We need to get back to the stadium, Harley," he told her gently, steering her back in the direction of the open doors. "We'll be safe there."

She didn't argue. She followed without question. What did this mean?

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